The Privatization of Roads and Highways - Ludwig von Mises Institute

44 The Privatization of Roads and Highways
exception, of course, of the monorail), not one, or any fraction
thereof. Also, in order to connect points A and B, it must stretch
completely from one point to the other. It may not end halfway
between them, and offer the likelihood of transportation between
the two points.
Does this establish the need for government takeover of railroads?
Of course not. Yet they exhibit the concept of indivisibilities
just as do roads and highways. If indivisibilities justify government
involvement in roadways, then they should justify it in
all other cases wherein indivisibilities can be found. Since the
advocates of the indivisibility argument are not willing to extend
it to broomsticks, slippers, steel mills, and practically every other
good and commodity under the sun, logic compels them to
retract it in the case of highways.
CONCLUSION
So what do we conclude? Having debunked the notion that
private ownership of the roads is not “impossible,” and that, in
fact, it may offer a variety of exciting alternatives to the present
system, we return to the question of why it should even be considered.
There we come face-to-face again with the problem of
safety. A worse job than that which is presently being done by the
government road managers is difficult to envision. We need only
consider what transpires when safety is questioned in other
forms of transportation to see a corollary. When an airline experiences
an accident, it often experiences a notable dropping off of
passengers. Airlines with excellent safety records, who have conducted
surveys, have found that the public is aware of safety and
will make choices based upon it.
Similarly, private road owners will be in a position to establish
regulations and practices to assure safety on their roads.
They can impact the driver, the vehicle, and the road—the key
elements of highway safety. They can react more quickly than the
government bureaucracy in banning such vehicles as “exploding
Pintos.” The overriding problem with the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, and with all similar governmental