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Bill: Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis
Details
Submitted by[?]: Factio Republicana Socialistica
Status[?]: defeated
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: January 4395
Description[?]:
| Vinician Law on Automobiles Senators, Cars kill people. They kill more than guns, violent crime, and many deadly diseases, and yet, since we are married to the myth of perpetual growth, we continue allowing this instrument of death to roam our streets and kill our children. It is time to put a stop to this and replace private vehicles with safer and less poluting alternatives, such as public transport, bicycles, golf carts, rickshaws, and railways. With the passing of this bill ownership of private cars will be gradually restricted, starting with the centers of the big cities and culminating in a full and complete ban on ownership of private cars, with exceptions for delivery vehicles, which will require a licence to operate. Instead local governments will be encouraged to help their citizens live without cars, by approving taller buildings, abolishing parking minimums, expanding public transport, and replacing our roads with railways. In order to cause as little disruption as possible, we propose to eliminate the ownership of multiple vehicles within the same family, reducing the number of cars on our streets and paving the way for a full ban on private vehicles. This way we will finally give up the myth of unrestricted perpetual growth and establish a localized, more open, and more virtuous economic system. Iennifer Vinicia Opis Senatrix |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy in respect to highways.
Old value:: There is a national highway system constructed and maintained by the national government, and local systems by local governments.
Current: A national highway infrastructure is constructed and maintained by the government.
Proposed: This is left to local governments.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning private cars.
Old value:: Private cars are allowed, but people are encouraged to travel collective and tax incentives are provided for cars using environmentally friendly fuels.
Current: Private cars are allowed, but people are encouraged to travel collective and tax incentives are provided for cars using environmentally friendly fuels.
Proposed: Only one car allowed per household, people are encouraged to travel collective and tax incentives on cars using environmentally friendly fuels.
Article 3
Proposal[?] to change Funding of public transport (where applicable).
Old value:: Public transport is fully user-pays.
Current: Public transport is fully subsidised by the government.
Proposed: Local governments decide upon the funding policy.
Article 4
Proposal[?] to change Public works initiatives
Old value:: The government funds a program to build public works.
Current: The government funds a program to build public works.
Proposed: Public works projects are left to local governments.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 22:11:59, May 14, 2018 CET | From | Novus Partis Rexisti | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | Is not it the right of the people to see their country? Don't cars make travel easier? Do you not see how difficult this will be to implement? Nearly everyone has a car. |
| Date | 09:33:50, May 15, 2018 CET | From | Factio Republicana Socialistica | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | Senators, If cars are replaced by alternative means of transport, and if short distance travel is replaced by walking and bicycles, travel will not be significantly disrupted and countless lives will be saved. The key is to implement this gradually and ensure the appropriate infrastructure is in place. Iennifer Vinicia Opis Senatrix |
| Date | 13:53:29, May 15, 2018 CET | From | Novus Partis Rexisti | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | Senatrix, my question is, how long will this take? How much will this cost us? Where will we get this money? Wilhelmus Augustus Flavius Leader of the Rexist Party |
| Date | 20:34:38, May 15, 2018 CET | From | Factio Republicana Socialistica | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | It will be the local governments that will have the responsibility of implementing the gradual transition towards a car-free Selucia. Instead of investing in parking spaces, for instance, they could convert them to public spaces and installations like playgrounds or bike parking. Instead of subsidizing electric cars, they could instead invest in public transport. They could also introduce car-free zones in areas where few residents own a vehicle and which are properly covered by public transport. Instead of building highways, we can build and expand our rail system. All these measures require no additional expense, but redirecting existing spending towards a worthwhile goal. By making it difficult to own and drive cars and by making people with cars feel like visitors instead of owning the streets, demand will eventually shift away from cars towards alternate means of transport. Iennifer Vinicia Opis Senatrix |
| Date | 22:11:38, May 15, 2018 CET | From | Novus Partis Rexisti | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | My issue, Senatrix, is this; Say I live in a city, but my work is say 10 miles away. It is easy for the person in this situation to get to work using a car, but it is not easy any other way. How many people will be late to work? How much productivity will be lost? Additionally, what of the workers in factories that manufacture cars or parts for cars? How many people will lose their jobs? I think of the people, do you, Senatrix? Wilhelmus Augustus Flavius Leader of the Rexist Party |
| Date | 22:17:26, May 15, 2018 CET | From | Novus Partis Rexisti | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | My friends in the Factio Republicana, it is not cars that kill people, but irresponsible drivers. Don't believe me? Here's an example of my point; People are killed by knives. Tell me, is it the knife who killed the person, or the person wielding the knife? We need to teach people how to drive responsibility, and educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving. Rather than outlaw cars, we need to educate the public on safe and responsible driving. Wilhelmus Augustus Flavius Leader of the Rexist Party |
| Date | 04:33:36, May 16, 2018 CET | From | Factio Renatus Seluciana | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | The Rexist Party raises some very good points. |
| Date | 04:33:36, May 16, 2018 CET | From | Factio Renatus Seluciana | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | The Rexist Party raises some very good points. |
| Date | 09:31:36, May 16, 2018 CET | From | Factio Republicana Socialistica | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | The difference between knives and cars, Mr. Flavius, is that even when used properly for their intended purpose cars still kill thousands of people each year. Knives don't cause deadly emissions. Cars do. Car pollution causes respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis and increases the risk of deadly conditions like cancer. Knives don't lead to substantial medical costs, but cars substantially increase the burden on our healthcare system. Ultimately we don't even need cars that much. We are an island nation and every Selucian lives within a few kilometers from the ocean. If we are concerned about travel between regions, we already accomplish that by sea travel. It is urban transport that is dominated by vehicles, and here there are alternatives we can easily use and promote, saving countless lives in the process. Iennifer Vinicia Opis Senatrix |
| Date | 05:17:26, May 17, 2018 CET | From | Novus Partis Rexisti | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | You know what else cars do? Create significant profits. I agree that emissions are a problem. The solution is not a ban, but a tax. The tax would keep the auto industry running, thus benefiting the economy, and the tax would raise more money for the gov't. Additionally, I don't know if you've noticed, but ships don't go inland. As far as alternatives, why do you think urban transport is dominated by vehicle? Because vehicles are the choice of the vehicle. Additionally, do you know how much money it would cost the gov't to create and maintain alternative forms, such as buses and trains. Buses and trains which release emissions too. Car accident deaths are not the fault of cars, but the fault of people. Just as a murder involving a knife is not the fault of the knife, but the person who wields the knife. We shouldn't ban cars. We should create responsible drivers. Wilhelmus Augustus Flavius Leader of the Rexist Party |
| Date | 09:53:36, May 17, 2018 CET | From | Factio Republicana Socialistica | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | Senators, I ask Mr. Flavius: is the economy created for man, or man for the economy? What good is profit if one is ill, what benefit does a high GDP bring if Selucian men, women, and children die from easily preventable causes? We must stop sacrificing our own people on the altar of economic growth, and end the pursuit of profit for its own sake. And to answer his question as to why urban transport is dominated by vehicles, the answer is simple: it is the tragedy of the commons, the result of selfish behavior and "rational" self-interest on behalf of car owners. If urban transport were to be completely replaced with alternative means of transport overnight, congestion would drastically decline and traffic would become much smoother. In those circumstances a single car owner could justifiably argue that, if nobody else uses a car, they would be at a distinct advantage. If every other car user thinks the same, which is indeed rational, then all the ills of car use would return immediately. And in our current circumstances, where everyone is allowed to drive a car, it is still rational for a car owner to prefer their own vehicle to public transport, even though they contribute to all the problems of car use. This is a clear example that the collection of individual interests does not equal the common good, and indeed harms it. In terms of practicality, our current laws already include significant restrictions on car ownership. We are simply expanding the existing policy of providing incentives for healthier means of transport by restricting the number of cars to one per family, and by empowering municipalities to provide infrastructure for alternative transport. Most Selucian families do not own more than one car, and those that do will simply have the option of selling their vehicle to people that do not have one. In time demand will continue to shift towards industries that provide alternative transport, and new jobs will eventually be created in those industries. The end result will be a healthier and happier population, fewer road deaths, massively lower health costs, and an end to free-riding in transportation. Iennifer Vinicia Opis Senatrix |
| Date | 13:46:27, May 17, 2018 CET | From | Novus Partis Rexisti | To | Debating the Lex Vinicia de Autocinetis |
| Message | Senatrix Opis, I don't think you understand that money is power. There's no other way to put it. If the people will it, then so it shall be. Unlike you, Senatrix, I have the interests of the people in mind. Ave, Selucia! Unitas et Robur! Wilhelmus Augustus Flavius Leader of the Rexist Party |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | |||
| yes | Total Seats: 136 | |||
| no | Total Seats: 365 | |||
| abstain |
Total Seats: 249 |
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