Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-02-25-Speech-4-073"
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"en.20100225.5.4-073"2
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"I should like to start by simply noting that the Belgian tax burden is one of the world’s highest, yet in that ungovernable country, the taxpayers – particularly those in Flanders – obtain very little in return for their money. The rail system is a perfect illustration of this. It is hopelessly outdated and is characterised by frequent and long delays and by overcrowded carriages during peak hours.
The management of the Belgian railways (SNCB) is highly politicised and inefficient, and a typical feature of Belgian politics is that, when something goes wrong, no one is ever responsible for anything at all. In 2001, a train crash occurred in Pécrot that was similar to last week’s in Buizingen. Nine years ago, everyone thought serious action would be taken to improve the safety system; yet this did not happen. Pending the introduction of the European Train Control System (ETCS), Belgium developed its own system, but this came far too late and was extremely inadequate.
The lesson we must learn from this is that more needs to be invested in safety and that the various existing systems need to be better geared to one another. Then, if effective interoperability proves impossible to achieve, maximum encouragement must be given to the changeover to the European ETCS, as it is not healthy for a Thalys train running between Paris and Amsterdam, for example, to have no less than seven different safety systems."@en1
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