Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 15, 1994 TAG: 9412150044
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The Virginia Connections plan, the brainchild of Secretary of Transportation Robert Martinez, reflects Allen's wish to turn over many public services to the private sector. Allen wants to cut regulation of trucking, rail service and auto dealerships.
The plan is ``pro-economic development, pro-enterprise, pro-deregulation and pro-privatization,'' Allen said at a meeting of the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
The plan calls for no increase to the state budget and no added workers. Allen also said the state has $86 million it will channel into new highway construction from higher than projected revenue from used and new car sales and gasoline sales.
One of the highlights of the plan is promoting the Virginia Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, which would allow the state to attract private money for transportation facilities.
The plan also calls for supporting legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session that would transfer some regulation of car dealerships from the Department of Motor Vehicles to a professional board, made up mostly of dealers.
Martinez said the plan would attack cumbersome regulations - such as how big showrooms are and whether operating hours are posted - but would not affect the state's lemon laws or odometer tampering laws.
``This has nothing to do with deregulating safety,'' he said.
Consumer activists, however, say the measures are dangerous.
``We're really concerned about the appropriateness of allowing the licensees to regulate themselves,'' said Jean Ann Fox, president of the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council.
by CNB