NationStates Jolt Archive

Here is the most recent version.

Transportation Infrastructure Safety Act

(Not sure on the category, International Security, perhaps?)

The United Nations,

NOTING the poor structural integrity of many bridges and tunnels worldwide;

DEEPLY REGRETTING the loss of life and property caused by bridge and tunnel collapse;

AWARE of the large cost involved in bridge and tunnel construction;

CONVINCED that improvements to bridge and tunnel infrastructure may help prevent the loss of innocent lives;

1: ESTABLISHES the United Nations Transportation Infrastructure Safety Commission, or UNTISC;

2: AUTHORIZES the UNTISC to perform safety inspections on all bridges, tunnels, overpasses, and elevated spans used to transport pedestrian, automobile, or rail traffic in UN nations (hereby referred to as “transportation structures”);
2.1: Transportation structures shall be rated on a ten-point scale, with 10 being the highest, meaning the structure is new or in like-new condition, and 1 being the lowest, meaning the structure is incapable of supporting normal usage.
2.2: Ratings will take into account structural integrity, traffic volume, local climatic and geological conditions. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, earthquake frequency and severity, wind speed, and precipitation.
2.3: Should a transportation structure collapse or suddenly become otherwise compromised, the UNTISC may perform immediate inspection of all structures of similar design and age in that nation, should the UNTISC deem it necessary.

3: AUTHORIZES the UNHISC to force the closure of transportation structures with ratings below a 3 on the ten-point scale until such time as the structure is replaced, or is improved to a rating above 3.

4: CALLS UPON member nations to contribute money toward the construction and maintenance of bridges both domestically and abroad.

Questions, comments, constructive criticism?

The United Nations forges international law; I don't see how that includes bridge inspections. That's a matter for national and local authorities.

Agree with Surly; not an international issue. Plus the fact that it would be prohibitively expensive as a worldwide effort, and the problem of different technological advancement throughout the United Nations.

And of course: why just road bridges? Why not railway bridges or aquaducts?

We've been having a spate of bridge collapses in NS?

Anyway, I'll have to agree with Surly and Cobdenia. This is a purely national issue.

And of course: why just road bridges? Why not railway bridges or aquaducts?This was written, I think, in response to a recent highway bridge collapse in Minnesota.

While I can certainly see your argument, this is definitely no more of a NatSov breach as many other passed resolutions. We have plenty that outlaw things that lie entirely within national boarders (Sex Industry Worker's Act, Ex Post Facto ban, Habeas Corpus, and Workplace Safety Act, just to name a few). How are they justified? With Ex Post Facto and Habeas Corpus, it's because they help bring proper justice. The other two examples keep people safe.

So while I see your argument, I also think that preventing travel over unsafe bridges will help save lives. And many nations, I've had puppets like this, don't want to spend money on that kind of thing. Just as many nations don't want to spend money to keep workers or prostitutes safe.

Would it be preferred to have incentives for nations with no or few poorly rated bridges, and penalties for nations with many poorly rated bridges?

I guessed that; but the fact remains that rail bridge collapses have killed far more, and inspried some really, really bad poetry (http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/poems/pgdisaster.htm)

(this is one of Audland's other accounts)

Jolt is being a pain; I put in a post a few hours ago, and it still hasn't come up.

Anyway, Yes, it was written in reaction to the I-35W thing, sort of like the Tsunami resolution.

And now that you mention it, I probably should include rail bridges. Pedestrian, too, while I'm at it.

EDIT: Here's an updated version. It includes tunnels, too.
Transportation Infrastructure Safety Act

(Not sure on the category, International Security, perhaps?)

The United Nations,

NOTING the poor structural integrity of many bridges and tunnels worldwide;

DEEPLY REGRETTING the loss of life and property caused by bridge and tunnel collapse;

AWARE of the large cost involved in bridge and tunnel construction;

CONVINCED that improvements to bridge and tunnel infrastructure may help prevent the loss of innocent lives;

1: ESTABLISHES the United Nations Transportation Infrastructure Safety Commission, or UNTISC;

2: AUTHORIZES the UNTISC to perform safety inspections on all bridges, tunnels, overpasses, and elevated spans used to transport pedestrian, automobile, or rail traffic in UN nations (hereby referred to as “transportation structures”);
2.1: Transportation structures shall be rated on a ten-point scale, with 10 being the highest, meaning the structure is new or in like-new condition, and 1 being the lowest, meaning the structure is incapable of supporting normal usage.
2.2: Ratings will take into account structural integrity, traffic volume, local climatic and geological conditions. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, earthquake frequency and severity, wind speed, and precipitation.
2.3: Should a transportation structure collapse or suddenly become otherwise compromised, the UNTISC may perform immediate inspection of all structures of similar design and age in that nation, should the UNTISC deem it necessary.

3: AUTHORIZES the UNHISC to force the closure of transportation structures with ratings below a 3 on the ten-point scale until such time as the structure is replaced, or is improved to a rating above 3.

4: CALLS UPON member nations to contribute money toward the construction and maintenance of bridges both domestically and abroad.

This is not for the UN to decide.

Respectfully,
M. Diegaus III
The former Genoshan Marine turned Genoshan Ambassador

Count me amongst those people saying that this isn't an international issue.

Bob Flibble
UN Representative

The United Nations forges international law; I don't see how that includes bridge inspections. That's a matter for national and local authorities.

Agree with Surly; not an international issue. Plus the fact that it would be prohibitively expensive as a worldwide effort, and the problem of different technological advancement throughout the United Nations.

And of course: why just road bridges? Why not railway bridges or aquaducts?

We've been having a spate of bridge collapses in NS?

Anyway, I'll have to agree with Surly and Cobdenia. This is a purely national issue.

This is not for the UN to decide.

Respectfully,
M. Diegaus III
The former Genoshan Marine turned Genoshan Ambassador

Count me amongst those people saying that this isn't an international issue.

Bob Flibble
UN Representative

Correct! Grab yourself a drink on me. It's not like my tab is going to get any smaller.

~Dr. Jules Hodz
"The original doctor in the UN."

Now that I've thought about this, I've found another problem with it, the cost. Think about it, the sheer number of people that would be needed would be staggering, not to mention the costs to transport the inspectors to the bridges and tunnels. And did I mention lately that the UN has no money?

My advice, if you intend to go forward with this, rewrite it so it only strongly urges, maybe forces nations to do the inspections, but don't have the UN do it.

Bob Flibble
UN Representatve

Or he could let it die, and not waste our time with it.

M. Diegaus III
RFGI Rep

i'm do not feel that this is an international issue as a dangerous highway doesnt not cause worldwie damage, does it?

Even if it does, data from my group experts has shown that such commissions will cost a fortune to maintain due to the inspections that will be worldwide and whenever a nation feels like building a highway or tunnel. It is no sutainable.

However, i do applauded you on your effort to looking after the well-being of your people.


Karim Masimov
Minister of Transport
The Republic of Morulcorw

I don't see this issue having a large enough scope to be even so much as a national issue. If I'm not mistaken in most nations roadways are monitored by the major cities and their individual departments of Transportation or department of highway safety. Just considering the scope of the UNTISC it would cost so much to implement that there would be no way we could ever pay for not only the cost of that bureaucracy and the actual cost of those inspections, let alone to cost of maintenance of these roads that isn't already considered in our own individual budgets.