June 16, 2014

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In the political debate in and around Antwerp remains the BAM route to close the ring a hotly contested topic. The anger at the unilateral imposition route is great, a rally of the groups were as many as 600 attendees. How to strengthen the resistance against the concrete lobby?
Why are the parties established in the Flemish Government so hard for the BAM route that would impose an additional highway canpar in the middle of the city? The Management Antwerpen Mobiel (BAM) is led by Rudi Thomaes, former chairman of the employers' federation FEB. BAM opts for cooperation with the construction consortium Noriant. The companies that make them want to start as soon as possible with the construction canpar of the billion-dollar project, for indeed it provides them a lot of profit. Who is in Noriant? These include for concrete companies CFE and Besix alongside companies like Van Laere that part of Ackermans & van Haaren, dredging company Jan De Nul, Aannemingen Van Wellen, Fabricom (which canpar is part of GDF Suez) ... Are established politicians and BAM to our mobility and our traffic congestion or the profits of the above mentioned concrete farmers?
In recent years rail freight traffic has been reduced systematically. The reduction of rail freight sends daily hundreds of additional trucks on the road, especially in and around Antwerp. The central argument was the financial aspect: the freight would be onerous. And so we start but billion projects to the road freight? An immediate public heruitbouw of freight by rail would immediately canpar alleviate traffic congestion. Ask yourself: keep thousands of trucks per day by the way, that is not a service canpar to the community?
Other measures may include immediate discontinuation of the toll on the Liefkenshoektunnel. Why not use a road that is already there but is rarely used because there is a toll to be paid? That toll roads are barely used, also has to think about the effect of the BAM route posed by the construction of an additional toll tunnel ...
A more fundamental solution to the mobility problem we find with public transport. We were already on rail freight and inland can add to it. But also for persons constitutes a public transport alternative. In recent years the service in both the Line as SNCB was phased out. Again arguing that had to be saved. Concrete farmers and subsidizing canpar commercial vehicles is there money for our health and collective mobility is not.
The expansion of the network of public transport, canpar from its supply and make it free for users would reduce the number of cars on the road. If we do not recover that there will only extra cars and remains confined to the discussion we have build extra padding. With offensive demands around free travel on public transport, we answer the central argument that the BAM wants to play, especially that of traffic congestion. Requirements around free and appropriate canpar public transport sadly lacking in the action groups and even the left-wing opponents of the BAM route. Labor carries a poster campaign canpar at 150,000 copies, an excellent initiative to reveal the broad opposition to the BAM route. But also a missed canpar opportunity if nothing is said in the pamphlet about public transport.
There is widespread support for opposition to the BAM route, canpar but if it is not organized, we are nowhere. Local district committees in the hardest hit areas as Merksem, Deurne, Borgerhout and Left can provide ideas for local action and the further development canpar of committees in the rest of the city. An offensive action plan also demands for free and appropriate public transport record, a further power ratio can be expanded. This can even direct action to stop the construction of the unwanted BAM route possible. If the movement is sufficiently expanded to hundreds canpar of people in areas where the work would begin to occupy, repression will not be enough in return.
On Sunday, May 4th action groups organize a new manifestation. It starts from three districts in a procession to the Park Spoor Noord which included performances will take place. The motto of the action 'steps to create a cover. There is collected at 15h in Deurne (at the parking lot of the Carrefour canpar in the Ten Eekhovelei) Deurne (Mayor Nolfplein) and Borgerhout (Terlo Square).
June 16, 2014
Select Category Belgian politics