A spokesperson for the Canadian Union of Public Employees says a public-private partnership twinning project for a section of Hwy. 104 would be more expensive- and less safe- than a regular public project.
Nan McFadgen, the president of CUPE Nova Scotia, says they started the Safe Highways NS campaign to highlight the dangers of using the P3 model to twin Hwy. 104 between Antigonish and Sutherlands River.
McFadgen tells The Hawk some parts of New Brunswick have more dangerous road conditions because reps with private companies aren’t able to meet snow clearing standards, and she doesn’t want that to happen here.
“We can see from New Brunswick- there’s statistics there, where they have privatized highways, where safety is compromised when private companies are maintaining the highways,” she says. “You’ll see an erosion of those standards because the private contractors aren’t able keep up to them, so government will lower the standards so that the private contractors can meet the contract.”
McFadgen says private companies use less de-icer, make fewer passes and take longer than public workers.
She says the Cobequid Pass has already proved reps from private companies can’t adequately provide snow removal and maintenance.
“They had private service on the Cobequid Pass, but it didn’t work out,” she says. “They undid that and now our members look after it, so I don’t know why they think that this is a good idea now.”
McFadgen says reduced snow clearing standards on private roads would endanger the lives of residents here.
