Question

should important services like transport be left to market forces​

Answer 1

Answer:

In India, transport sector mainly railways run by government Heavy subsidy is given on rail tickets. Half of the population in India depend on railways for a mass movement and they depend on subsidised tickets. Regional trains are the most convenient way of transport. And lakhs of passengers travel via these trains every day. So this is govt's public service agenda to transport the citizen in a lower rate of tickets. If this sector is run by market forces then rates of tickets will score drastically and layman won't be able to move frequently for their necessary work. Some will argue that railway reform should be there. It is true that the condition of Indian trains is very dismal. They are not well maintained some are unhygienic but people need to understand the huge cost of maintenance of this sector. It is tax payer's money which govt disburses during budget so if govt allows more fund to this sector there will be a shortage in other sectors. If a private sector is allowed to run transport then trains will be maintained well but the pricing will go out of pocket as happened in plane fares. So govt should not leave important services like transport to market forces but to some extent, it should entertain model to increase the efficiency of the existing employees to maintain proper hygiene in railways and allied sector.