"JNugent" wrote in message
...
On 09/10/2012 17:27, tim..... wrote:

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 12:29:37 on Tue, 9 Oct
2012, Clive Page remarked:
They were paid for jointly by Essex and Kent County Councils (you
probably
don't remember the good old days when County Councils did useful things
like that).

But it was explicitly promised at the time that when they tolls paid
for
the cost of construction (and interest etc.) the tunnels would become
free
of charge. I expect all those making the promises are now dead,
unfortunately.

In general I am also cynical, but in this case I don't think the County
Council project ever had a hope of breaking even, and had to be bailed
out.
In which case, the original promise has little relevance.

why would a county council scheme have significantly more chance of
failing
than a commercial one?

It's the M25 which has made the Dartford Tunnel into big business.

Thirty and forty years ago it carried far less traffic.

but why would a commercial organisation take it on if they didn't think that
the traffic would grow so as to cover their costs?

And if they thought so, why wouldn't the councils