Post
autor: chester » 31 mar 2011, 19:45
Coś jednak na rzeczy jest:
OPEN LETTER
to Mrs. Minister of Transport
ANCA BOAGIU
Dear Mrs. Minister,
The Romanian Railway Industry Association wants to address you several points of view regarding the problem of the announced shut-down of the railways part of the Romanian rail network. Considering the recent issue of the White Paper on Transport 2011, strategic document of the European Union, we believe Romania should also take real steps towards encouraging the mobility growth of freight and passengers based on environmentally friendly conditions.
The scientific studies carried out under the aegis of the European Union have constantly proved the superiority of the railways in reducing pollution, occupation of space and traffic ease.
The implementation of the Draft"Government Decision for approval of the shut-down of railway infrastructure sections property of the state under the administration of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and concessioned to the National Infrastructure Manager "C.F.R." - S.A. and/or private property of the National Infrastructure Manager "C.F.R." - S.A., published on the web site of the Romanian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, visibly affects the mobility of passengers and freight on Romanian territory, as:
1.. 1. The project analysis is seriously affected by the lack of transparency in identifying the sections to be closed and turned into account on the waste market. The Draft Government Decision does not include the list of lines to be shut-down, thus obstructing a real and objective analysis of the draft.
2.. 2. In elaborating the list (Annex 1, integrated part of the Government Decision), no commercial or non-profit organisation interested in the rail transport activity was consulted. The list published on the Romanian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure's web site only on March 25 (and then withdrawn) mirrors, from our point of view, the short-term interests of state-owned rail companies. In the attempt of reducing the wage and track maintenance costs on the short-term, the Romanian state risks ignoring, by means of this Government Decision, the investment projects of Romanian economic operators.
3.. 3. The Draft Government Decision does not provide an alternative to the decision of shutting down the sections included in the annex. We are well aware of the fact that current economic conditions in Romania impose the reshaping of the rail network, but we believe it is necessary to try and maintain operational those railway sectors that can help a region develop. To that end, we propose launching a communication campaign of lines to be shut down, with the purpose of attracting companies and local authorities in leasing, procurement or concession projects on the lines of interest. After having developed such campaigns and related tenders, we could consider the shut-down decision in the case of those lines in which nobody expressed interest.
4.. 4. We believe it is mandatory to correlate the line shut-down programme with the railway investment programmes developed by the Romanian Government and/or CFR SA. The shut-down of several lines has to be reconsidered, taking into account the investments on European corridors and in line with the traffic medium and long-term prospects. We believe the commitment of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, assumed through CFR S.A.'s Activity Contract for 2008-2011, to include in the company's annual budget the amounts necessary for repairs of the public rail infrastructure and for stopping the technical degradation of the infrastructure, has to be kept, including in what concerns the medium and long term projects in Romania. Contrarily, the current project could prevent the correct and efficient implementation of investment projects on the TEN-T network.
5.. 5. From the list that was temporarily published on the web site of the Romanian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, we have identified several projects which reveal a carelessness in what concerns the disbursement of the Romanian public or European money. Among them, Râmnicu Vâlcea - Vâlcele Project is perhaps the most relevant example. An investment project under development for which, as far as we know, in the past years, have been spent EUR 60-100 Million and whose use to transport on the axis Constanta - Bucharest - Berlin is undoubtedly, as it reduces the route by 107 km and the use of a much more accessible route from the geographical point of view (reduced energy consumption, reduced air pollution) is to be abandoned and the materials thus resulted recycled.
6.. 6. The same happens with several passenger transport lines, such as the line to Snagov (Caciulati - Snagov Plaje), the line to Slanic Prahova or the line to the city of Turda, and these are only few examples. Romania's urbanisation process is thus at risk, the population in these areas being denied the access to the economic and social life of the city near which they live.
Considering the above-mentioned points representing only a small part of the problems raised by a potential shut-down of the railways, we ask you to urgently organise public debates on this topic in order to identify real financing solutions and the way in which the economic and administrative community in Romania can contribute to the recovery of parts of the sections for which shut-down is being considered.
We also ask the ministry to submit to debate the way in which this project amends CFR Marfa's operation conditions and the way in which the reduction of the railway network affects the market price of the operator.
Last but not least, we ask the initiation of a debate on a new strategy of the Romanian railway sector that would take into account the pragmatic documents of the European Union, the real situation of the railway sector and of the Romanian economy, as well as the fact that the validity period of the 2001 strategy ended in 2010.
Please accept the expression of our deepest consideration,
Stefan Roseanu
Secretary General
AIF - Romanian Railway Industry Association
Dlaczego pieprzone pierożki są dobre, a pieprzone życie już nie? (B. Schaeffer)
Historia uczy jednego - nigdy nikogo niczego nie nauczyła.