March 18, 2003

Government Commercializing Rights-of-Way

Transportation Minister Judith Reid has announced that more than 35 government rest stops will be commercialized. Imagine what the BC Liberals would have said when they were in opposition if an NDP government leased out public lands to allow the successful bidders to take customers away from the businesses that have served the traveling public for years.

On May 15, 2002, the Campbell government introduced the "Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 2), 2002". It was 29 pages long. It amended 23 Acts, and it was called for second reading debate the day after it was introduced. The power to commercialize a portion of a highway was one of the amendments.

On Saturday, March 15th, Minister Reid issued a news release that said "government is launching a new program that will encourage highway safety, protect rest areas and provide investment opportunities for small business". Further into the release it noted that government currently spends $4 million per year to maintain 162 rest areas. The idea seems to be to cover that cost at the potential expense of some local businesses.

News releases that are issued late on a Friday afternoon frequently contain news that government doesn't want to see reported. The Campbell government has stretched its window for putting out releases of bad news so that it is not unusual to see government faxes and emails on a Saturday when the legislative news gallery is taking a day off.

It is one thing when government builds a new highway and thereby diverts traffic away from long standing restaurants, gas stations and motels. It is more controversial for established businesses to lose customers because government goes into direct competition by "commercializing highway rights-of-way".

How long will it be before we also see bill boards return to BC's highways?