MPIC's "speed kills" campaign may have found an unsuspecting ally in the province's beat-up roads. Thanks to years of neglect, surface breaks have become natural-born speed deterrents.

Speed bumps in parking lots are fine. But the last place you'd expected to find them is on a Manitoba highway. Unless its nature's way of cautioning speed-demons to ease off on the pedal.

Motorists will have a chance to vent their spleen on the state of Manitoba roads to a provincial committee recently set up to review the province's transportation system. Public hearings are planned throughout the province.

The committee should check out the lunar-size craters on Highway 17 north of Teulon for a sampling of an auto accident-in-waiting. The mortifying state of some Manitoba highways gives new meaning to 'road-kill.'

Imagine the effectiveness of a new MPIC "roads-kill" campaign. By reinforcing the message that highways like no. 17 are not to be confused for real roads, motorists will come to accept the ox-cart trials for what they truly are and drive accordingly. Wheel axles will be saved. Lives may be spared.

Run down roads and excessive gasoline taxes were highlighted at the recent Western Premiers' Conference in Moose Jaw. The western premiers pressed for a national transportation strategy that would plow federal gas taxes back into key road trade corridors.

Premier Gary Doer won the grand prix of the conference by leading the charge for a federal gas tax user fee. Doer took aim at the fed's for hauling $150 million per year of gas taxes out of Manitoba without any commitment to patch up the province's pockmarked pavement. "These user fees are not going back to the users," lamented Doer.

Firing away at the feds for gouging motorists at the pumps without committing to road renewal is like shooting fish in a barrel. Ottawa is utterly defenseless. How can the feds possibly justify siphoning off $4.7 billion in federal gas taxes each year while spending a measly 4% on highway renewal, 96 percent of which was spent east of Ontario Hello western alienation.

Doer's high-octane performance at the Conference may have scored some political points, but he's still miles off from winning the Manitoba road-repair derby.

To keep critics at bay, the Premier points out that the entire share of Manitoba's 11.5 cent per litre gasoline tax is spent on our highways department. But it's hardly enough to keep the fishing boat from flying off the trailer after nailing a six-inch pothole. With the boat capsized in the ditch and tackle strewn across the pavement, Doer's defense is unlikely to angle much support.

Motorists, however, would be inclined to give thumbs up to a gasoline tax user fee dedicated to road renewal. The NDP should legislate the provincial user fee and place it under the stewardship of a arms-length Transportation Investment Authority as recommended by the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association.

All provincial gasoline taxes would then be channeled to the Authority who would in turn take responsibility to develop and maintain provincial highways.

The problem of funding Manitoba roads is no mystery. What's puzzling is why the province is taking so long to act.