A program aimed at cutting the cost of children’s ferry travel may mean other travellers will be picking up the tab.
David Hendry, BC Ferries’ director of strategic planning, told members of the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee on Tuesday, May 12, that BC Ferries would be able to create a similar program for travel on Route 17 between Powell River and Comox as has been running on the Lower Sunshine Coast, but general fares would increase 0.8 per cent to make up the difference.
For the past five years Lower Sunshine Coast communities have been paying half of children’s fares for school- and sports-related travel and the provincial government has been paying the other half.
Upper Sunshine Coast residents, however, had been unaware that such an arrangement existed and upon learning about it requested that Powell River’s youth and students be included. BC Ferries updated its systems and since the fall, sports teams and youth travelling for school functions have done so without being charged. The program has been administered through School District 47’s administration office.
Then the issue of Route 17 came up, Hendry said.
“To cover half of that cost, passenger fares will have to increase on Route 17, 0.8 [per cent] average increase for adult passengers, vehicles and commercial,” Hendry said.
That breaks down to about a $0.40 increase for regular cars and trucks, about a $0.10 increase for foot passengers and an increase of about $0.05 per foot on commercial traffic.
Ferry advisory committee member and Powell River Board of Education trustee Doug Skinner sent the ferry corporation information about the various Powell River groups who would benefit by the arrangement including youth soccer, minor hockey, martial arts and gymnastics.
According to BC Ferries’ travel data, children’s fares accounted for close to 7,300 round trips to Comox last year.
The program to waive fares on the lower coast had its roots in the provincial government’s program to pay for half of children’s fares for school-related trips. Then about five years ago lower coast communities decided to cover the other half of the fares by agreeing to an increase in general passenger and vehicle rates.
BC Ferries is looking at a September 1 start to the program on Route 17 and to have the school district administer the new program.
NIP replacement
With discussions ongoing about the Queen of Burnaby replacement ferry, residents of Texada Island are looking for answers about what will happen with the North Island Princess.
Corrine Storey, BC Ferries’ vice-president of customer services, said she would have liked to come to the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday, May 12, with news that a decision had been made, but she said the ferry corporation is still exploring different options. Storey did say, though, that the North Island Princess would remain in service on the route between Blubber Bay and Westview until 2019.
