The Penang State Government is looking for a CEO to run the state's public transport system....or someone to spend the RM50 million loan they got from the Feds.....Who will they get??? ...that's the RM50 million question????
Someone with the experience and record to run a successful public transport system? To begin with...there's not much of a system in Penang.....as I said we had a system for much of the fifties and even up to the mid 80's...then wiser folks killed it....all in the name of ??????
We designed our cities for cars....& then kill the public transport by refusing to allow the operators to increase their fares when fuel costs, spare parts and cost of labour skyrocketed...all in the name of protecting joe public....we begin to "educate" joe public to expect pay peanuts for good services, we all love free rides....yet as Milton Friedman says "there's no such thing as free lunch".......in end, joe public have to end up paying more for transport because he has to buy a car that he only uses for about less than 10% of its life span...spending most of its time in car parks either at home or at the office or factory.....unless of course he moonlights as a taxi sapu.....that is the price we pay because the public transport system had broken down....
Why control fares?.....why control taxi licences....let there be no barriers to entry...& let the market dictate the fares people pay... free market...except to control ciminals or pyschopaths or peadophiles from becoming taxi drivers...anyone who wants to get a tax licence gets one...no renting...no special permits for special people.....no rent seeking opportunities....c whether we can get a good service... free market always....gives better services....its only when politicians come in and temper them all in the name of protecting joe public...that we get clobbered....remember wise man of old have this to say about governments..."a good government governs least..."
Well good luck to whoever the state appoints as a CEO....tough assignment ....thankless task...hopes the pay is good.
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