We are working on a brand new version of the game! If you want to stay informed, read our blog and register for our mailing list.
Bill: Railroad System Reform Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: Rutanian Democratic Forum
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: June 2630
Description[?]:
| " Rutania is a country with lot of railway transportation companies. After studying statistics and economic data, our analysts have come to the conclusion that the competitive market of train services brings profit and prosperity only to big cities and densely populated areas, while some areas remain ignored. Therefore, we suggest the introduction of a unified national railway company, and in the spirit of supporting private enterprise, we want to be a private company." Elisabeth Hills, MNC RDF spokesman for infrastructure and transport |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Train Operating Companies (TOC).
Old value:: Private companies operate TOCs throughout the country.
Current: The State owns and operates a national TOC, alongside private TOCs.
Proposed: There is a single privately owned national TOC.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 02:43:38, August 31, 2008 CET | From | Federal Rutanian Libertarian Union | To | Debating the Railroad System Reform Act |
| Message | Having read about Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, even a duopoly may hamper the services in lesser populated areas. We find that many companies - some operating long lines and other operating branch lines - may be far more beneficial and may provide better services over a larger area of Rutania. "Without deregulation in the railway industry permitting abandonment or sale of a railway line, or even the ability to set prices to match those of trucks, both CNR and CPR paid dearly for owning these inefficient lines. One tactic that CNR perfected was to demarket a line by providing sufficiently poor service to its few customers, that those customers would turn to trucks for improved service and lower costs. Once customers ceased to exist on a small branch line, the federal government would permit the line's abandonment. Had deregulation been in place several decades earlier, it is conceivable that many Canadian branch lines would have been viable in the hands of short line operators, saving millions of dollars for taxpayers funding highways, since the railway lines had already been publicly funded in their construction." |
| Date | 11:30:07, August 31, 2008 CET | From | Rutanian Democratic Forum | To | Debating the Railroad System Reform Act |
| Message | "Hmm..." |
| Date | 11:30:57, August 31, 2008 CET | From | Federal Rutanian Libertarian Union | To | Debating the Railroad System Reform Act |
| Message | If you can wholly argue the single TOC, then we will support. |
| Date | 12:24:44, August 31, 2008 CET | From | Rutanian Democratic Forum | To | Debating the Railroad System Reform Act |
| Message | "Single TOC will prevent dumping prices and, as a company which serves to public interests, it will maintain all railroad lines, so the main criterion for railroad will not be profit, it will be public interest." |
| Date | 04:53:49, September 01, 2008 CET | From | Federal Rutanian Libertarian Union | To | Debating the Railroad System Reform Act |
| Message | "The reason why we provide for privatisation of railroad companies is that they will work for profit by ensuring customer satisfaction and providing better services. However, where services become unprofitable such as small and branch lines that may be necessary for small communities, the company will be forced to close them down as they will not have any option of selling the line to a smaller company which is specialised and tailored for branch lines and this may be able to offer a far better and streamlined service as an alternative. Really, we would agree if the Rutanian railways network was comprised of a wholly long distance and main line system, but this is simply not the case. The RDF's urban support base can be argued to have begun to neglect rural areas in its entireity." |
| Date | 11:10:57, September 01, 2008 CET | From | Rutanian Democratic Forum | To | Debating the Railroad System Reform Act |
| Message | "No, in fact, we want to protect those smaller lines. There is no guarantee that there's one small company operating just small lines, one, or two, specialised, because, smaller lines just don't bring profit. So your argument is not argument at all. " |
subscribe to this discussion - unsubscribe
Voting
| Vote | Seats | |||
| yes | Total Seats: 278 | |||
| no | Total Seats: 229 | |||
| abstain | Total Seats: 92 |
| Random fact: Any RP law granting extraordinary "emergency powers" or dictator-like powers to a government must be passed by at least a 2/3rds majority, but (like all RP laws) may always be overturned by a simple majority vote of the legislature. |
| Random quote: "I'm the motherfucking Premier of Kalistan. It don't get more full time than that!" - Omar Al-Khali, former Kalistani politician |