Editorial: the state does care… overly so, at times

Photo: Aldo Luud / SL Õhtuleht

Some say state doesn’t care. A glance at public transport arrangements and subsidies would prove otherwise: a cup of care running over, with a touch of careless waste.

True: the big beautiful buses came with CO₂ quota sales money – for nothing, so to say. Still, using any public assets like a careless lottery winner is sheer imprudence. The subsidies paid towards the bus lines come straight from taxpayer pocket and are, by nature, fixed costs. Every euro gotten from taxpayers is hard-earned money; it must always be asked if powers could make some better use of it.

From a citizen and taxpayer point of view, this seems self-evident. Sadly, not so when one sits as commune elder – for him, every bus line squeezed out of the county governor tastes of precious victory. And, when managing a bus company and being offered state money for covering a certain amount of kilometres... you will accept the deal, probably. And having, as a county government official, experienced the hardships of negotiating any harmony into various forms of transport – you’d probably just let it be.

Even though, in many places, people daily cross county borders – such movements now possible for geographers to pinpoint, using mobile positioning – the rules governing subsidies for cross-county bus lines differ from inside-county-lines. A single county governor will find the nut impossible to crack; therefore, he will yield to the framework imposed. New buses are brought in, subsidies from pockets of abstract taxpayers increase; even so, no real benefits may result for people’s everyday lives. And the commune chiefs’ «points» may prove costly. All would agree that in spite of improved quality something smells foul; yet, no one is motivated to rock the boat.

The above breeds a question: where are the big political decisions on organisation of public transport? Systemic change is badly needed. One way would be taking decisions and responsibilities to the lowest possible level. Should it prove impossible to thus provide for a network connecting all of Estonia, central planning should be taken to its logical end – making all forms of public transport play as a single orchestra.

Politicians should be spurred into decision-making, having to care for both: for those who, due to residence or economic lot in life need subsidised public transport. And for those who (due to their more favourable fortunes) are maintaining the system.