Thank you to everyone who has signed this petition. Here is today’s update. Please consider sharing the petition to people who may have missed seeing the it on their social media. Each signature adds power!
Imagine this… a Highways yard in every major community - Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, Lillooet, Chilliwack, Merritt, Abbotsford, Princeton, Quesnel, Kamloops, Prince George, Cranbrook, Golden, Anahim Lake, Terrace, Nelson, Vernon, Armstrong, etc., etc. Now imagine highly skilled crews with proper planning & equipment in each of these communities, working to keep our transportation system safe & functional. Picture these real people, with good civil service jobs, clearing the roads, grading, sanding, salting, clearing debris, watching for surface and slope & structural failure, maintaining bridges, and more. Each yard is supported by an office with people answering calls, doing payroll, and other administrative positions.
Before the privatization of the Ministry of Transportation & Highways, and BC Ferries, these skilled crews ran the system like clockwork. When surprise disaster happened, it was dealt with quickly & efficiently. Crews could be brought in from stand-by or from non-affected areas to assist.
Lets face it, although perhaps well meaning & skilled, contractors actually profit from disasters such as the ones recently experienced in BC in the form of flooding, mud slides, & washouts. These failures provide for-profit contractors with days, weeks, months, and even years of work. Providing efficient ongoing maintenance doesn’t fit the for-profit model. When regular maintenance & planning are neglected, disaster is inevitable.
It’s time for the Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure, including BC Ferries, to be returned to the public sector. Transportation & supply chains which are essential to the safety & security of everyone, are far too vital to be put in private hands.
(Something as simple as plugged catch basins cause a chain of events that can lead to disaster. Debris in drains & ditches cause water to back up, & can result in flooding, undercutting road surfaces, washouts, & erosion at bridges & culverts. Flooding of road surface can cause hydroplaning resulting in accidents. Please forward any photos you may have of the current disaster, or current neglect of our transportation & infrastructure. Thank you.)