TRANSPORT - SYSTEMS OF CONTROL AND AUTONOMY

THE PAPER CONSIDERS THE COMPETITION BETWEEN RAIL AND ROAD: INCREASING PRIVATE TRANSPORT; INCREASED LOSSES IN RAIL TRANSPORT; INCREASING TRANSPORT COSTS WITH INCREASING INCOMES (1958, 4.2 PERCENT, 1976, 12.7 PERCENT); INCREASING ROAD ACCIDENTS; INCREASING ENVIRONMENTAL DISTURBANCE FROM NOISE AND EXHAUST. MOBILITY LEADS TO FREEDOM OF TRANSPORT CHOICE. HENCE FINANCE FROM PRIVATE TRANSPORT MUST BE USED TO EXTEND PUBLIC TRANSPORT. IN COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT SINCE 1961 GOODS TRANSPORTED WITHIN THE COUNTRY HAVE DOUBLED. IN TRANSPORT CROSSING BORDERS IT INCREASED BY A FACTOR OF EIGHT AND IN TRANSIT TRANSPORT A FACTOR OF TWENTY-FOUR, WHEREAS ONLY ONE EIGHTH TO ONE SIXTH OF THE ROAD COSTS PROVIDED BY PRIVATE CARS WERE PROVIDED BY COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC. THIS RESULTS IN HIGHER ROAD CONSTRUCTION COSTS, LONG TAIL-BACKS AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, 25 PER CENT UNUSED GOODS CAPACITY ON THE RAILWAYS. CORRECTIVE MEASURES BY THE STATE USING TAXATION (LORRY-TAX) SHOULD HELP TO BRING ABOUT ECONOMICALLY REASONABLE SOLUTIONS. PUBLIC ACTIONS FOR CONTROLLING THE SITUATION ARE DISCUSSED ALSO WITH THE OTHER TRANSPORT SYSTEMS, SUCH AS AIR TRANSPORT, WATERWAYS, CABLE WAYS, PIPELINES AND NEWS-TRANSPORT. IN 1976 THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT WAS SEVENTY THOUSAND MILLION AUSTRIAN SCHILLINGS WHICH EQUALS 26 PER CENT OF ALL FEDERAL EXPENDITURE.