• Results of Discussions at the International Road Congress
Page 69
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THE revised conclusions reached at the International Road Congress, on the subject of highways finance, have been issued, and extracts from them make interesting reading. It is said that, to meet the large financial problems involved and to secure the fullest and quickest benefits from mechanical road transport it is particularly important that highways programmes covering a period of years be set up well in advance and . carefully budgeted. To facilitate financing and administration, and as a guide in determining the kind and extent of improvement, all highways should, so far as practicable, be
• classified according to the characteristics of their prevailing traffic, as to origin, destination and importance.
It is considered that provision for systematic maintenance of air highways after improvement is an essential feature of a sound programme. If proper types of highway, in relation to their character and volume of traffic, be provided, the maintenance costs should prove to be less than with inadequate highways handling a similar amount of traffic. . In making provision for maintenance, however, it should be borne well in mind that traffic on improved highways tends to increase rapidly • and, whilst the improvement thus benefits the users, it may increase the total of maintenance costs. For this reason the upkeep of improved roadways of general use, or, at least, any increase over these former normal maintenance costs, should be regarded as a first charge upon the user revenues.
A conclusion that the cost of constructing, improving and maintaining adequate highways systems should be distributed equally in relation to the direct and indirect benefits derived, taking into consideration the taxable capacity of those benefited, was reached.
The Control of Passenger-vehicle Services.
In another part of the bulletin the revised conclusions on the subject of co-ordination are set out; these emphasize the fact that co-ordinrtion of rail and highways transport is a pressing problem. It is mentioned that the development of road travel through the use of the motor vehicle has not been of equal intensity in all countries.
In another conclusion it is remarked that the operation of all public bus services, irrespective of ownership, should be subject to adequate control by a responsible authority embracing a wide area, so as to ensure regularity, efficiency and adequacy of services, safety of the public at large and the avoidance of excessive competition and uneconomic fares. Later on in the report it is said that, in considering the various problems for a closer co-ordinte'on between rail and road-transport operators, one or more of three plans is usually followed. These are : (a) Volinatary co-operation between railway 'undertakings and road-transport interests; (b) the inauguration of highways services by the railway concerns, or the financial and administrative control of participation exercised by these companies in the conduct of road-transport interests;
(c) quasi-legal co-ordination with obligation -placed on the different transport companies to agree to the creation of a system of co-operative working and, in case a settlement 'a not reached, the enforcement of compulsory co-ordination by a governmental authority.
It is also laid down that roadtransport enterprise should be financially self-sustaining, so that monetary subsidies on the part of the State or of private interests should be given only in the case of the opening up of certain regions of country which are destitute of traffic. Taxation for highway purposes should be borne, not only by motor vehicles, but by all interests which benefit from the highways system.