Interview with Paul Mees

Interview with Paul Mees – courtesy of the Socialist Party’s No Tunnel site

SP member Yorran Pelekenakis recently interviewed RMIT academic and public transport advocate Paul Mees. Paul spoke to Yorran about the Victorian State Government commissioned Eddington Report and public transport in Melbourne.

YP: What are your views on the Eddington Report?

PM: Both of Eddington’s tunnels are unnecessary, but the road tunnel would be actively counter productive, it would make Melbourne a worse place socially and environmentally. The rail tunnel is merely a waste of money.

YP: You argue that the rail tunnel in particular is grossly unnecessary because the current network is running under capacity. Eddington argues that you are basing your information on outdated figures. What is the true picture here?

PM: Well I don’t know what he means because he hasn’t actually provided any substantiation to his claims. He just mouths various insults directed at unnamed people, who are of course me. He never provides any response to the arguments that I’ve set out publicly as to why the rail system has about 100 % more capacity than is currently being provided.

I’ve published all of these and anyone can get them from the internet and they’re available even on the Eddington report website but he hasn’t seen fit to respond to them. I think the reason why he doesn’t respond is that neither he, nor the department, nor Connex have a valid response to my arguments. Continue Reading…