If the reverse is the case, namely more cash on the way out than on the way in, the activity is unsustainable. Private businesses might resolve a cash flow problem by either cutting out losing product lines, or increasing prices, or both. The public sector could well take heed of this approach. There are a few barriers that must be overcome, though, before a rational public policy can be adopted. First to go must be the notion that access to the road system is some sort of inherent right to which persons or corporations are entitled.
Roads are material goods that cost real resources to construct, operate, and maintain.
Individuals or businesses have no right to demand access to highway services without paying the costs of that service. A second barrier to be overcome is the idea that it is not possible to fairly assess highway users for the cost of the services they require. Granted, the public sector has little experience with pricing and marketing its products. This is not to say that it should not be done. A third barrier to be overcome is the notion that the value of road services can or should be determined independently of the use and fees collected for that use.