OCCUPY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

A think local, act global article

How does public transport relate to the Occupy Movement? The answer is simple. Big oil has had the world over a barrel, pun intended, for long enough. Even with a global oil crisis; world trade, governments, politicians and local councils have refused to begin switching to non-oil transportation methods. Science has found alternative methods. The resources are available, so why then, do our politicians and world leaders refuse to play ball? The simple answer is big oil is big business. Oil tycoons will not willingly relinquish their hold over the worlds wealth and will use every method at their disposal to keep governments beholden to them. The 99% can change this.

Here I will begin by using a local example and then look at how this can be expanded to a global understanding.

Queensland's public transport system is called Translink. Translink provides buses and trains throughout all of the State. Not so long ago it switched from cash tickets to a swipe card system. To 'encourage' the card system it grossly inflated cash bought ticket fares while swipe card fares were inflated but to a lesser degree. If anything goes wrong with the card $5 is automatically taken from the cards value even if the fault rests with translink. Now, if I tried to steal a $5 bus ride I would face the full force of the law which is currently an automatic $200 fine. Translink has 23 zones with fares up to $24.60 for a one-way journey. Bottom line, petrol costs less there and back than the public transport system does one-way! To add insult to injury Translink is able to steal amounts of $5 periodically from over 300,000 public transport users without facing any repercussions at all. There is process one can undergo to get their $5 back but it requires knowing the exact day, date, time, bus number and bus-stop number to prove the fault lies with Translink. Even if one does manage to succeed at this much, there is then a two week delay in having funds returned. One person cannot take this company to court for system theft and win. It requires an entire community to picket local government. Translink's excuse for the swipe card system is to make it easier and faster for the consumer. I don't know about you guys but it's easier for me to not be stolen from and for companies, councils and multi-national industries to be subject to the same theft laws I am.

So, why is Translink so expensive? Simply put, it is expensive because it relies on oil. In Melbourne where public transport uses electric trams, trains and buses, the public transport system is under a quarter of the cost. So, what is your local public transport system like? Does it encourage or discourage public usage? Is it environmentally friendly or running on dirty oil?

So, lets expand this back to a global understanding. By applying pressure to local councils, state councils, local government, national government and international trade for non-oil transportation we can drastically lower the cost of public transport and all products transported in an environmentally friendly non-oil manner. This redistributes the wealth by lowering each individuals transportation costs and product costs while simultaneously crippling big oil and it's tycoons. In this way, the 99% get to reverse the situation and have big oil over a barrel for a change.

SabA-DVal