CNTC published open letter to Boric: “If there is any privileged transport group that is the railway mode”

The National Confederation of Cargo Transport of Chile (CNTC) published an open letter addressed to the candidate of Apruebo Dignidad, Gabriel Boric and the citizens. In the letter, the union addresses the debate that arose on “railway policy”, after being one of the proposals of the candidate of Apruebo Dignidad. “As the citizens took sides and in a way interpret that truckers are a privileged caste and that the only thing that moves us is to preserve a privilege, it is good to make it crystal clear that, if there is any privileged transport group, that is the railway mode.” With this, they assured that “there is a lack of knowledge of transport and its various modes, the train and trucks are different but complementary modes”. In this line, they listed a series of “asymmetries”, which they qualified as “unacceptable”, indicating that trains:1.-They can operate importing used equipment, without age limit, which are not subject to any official and semi-annual review that certifies their mechanical state and emission of gases that allows them to circulate.2.-The train carries out transport of dangerous loads without application of restrictions, specific requirements or permission for transfer, even when there are railway tracks adjacent to townhouses and cities.3.-There is no tonnage limit for their convoys even when they cross bridges built at the end of the tenth century, the fall of the Toltén bridge is the most graphic and current example of this consideration.4.-They do not pay a cash toll for the use of tracks. 5.-Citizens should know that the Master Plan” of the State Railway Company is co-financed with resources from the subsidy law. After that, they asked “the candidate Boric and the citizens all the respect for Juan Barrios who gave his life to continue transporting the essential goods of our beloved homeland.”

Original source in Spanish