Maybe I should have spent more time arguing my case, but it was late and I wanted to gauge some initial opinions.
Private enterprises exist in order to make money for themselves and their shareholders. Customers come second. Just look at bus deregulation: marginal and non-profitable services just get the chop, with complete disregard for the travelling public.
A Public Private Partnership doesnt mean a return to the days of old. Governments admit that things were run poorly and inefficiently in the past and this would surely be addressed in any future operations.
Governments are far more accountable to the public nowadays and it would be in their interests to run a tidy ship or else come election day...
I cant help but comment on a couple of comments above from our US buddies. my only reply to that is; you completely dismiss government intervention, yet the US majors are getting HUGE handouts from capital hill! Come on!