Since the provincial government transformed BC Ferries from a Crown corporation to a quasi-public-private company in 2003, fares have increased by 60 per cent on the minor routes. The ferry commissioner has given preliminary approval for an 8.2 per cent increase on minor routes over the next four years.
The increases have affected everything from the cost of transporting goods to the viability of island communities. Each time fares increase, fewer people travel, impacting tourism.
When the government announced its changes to BC Ferries in 2003, it promised “modest and predictable average fare increases” that would allow for economic development and job creation. That promise has not been fulfilled. The government needs to return to the structure it created and honour its commitment to ferry-dependent communities. One way to do that is by returning the minor routes to the ministry of transportation and infrastructure. If it doesn’t, the health and viability of coastal communities are in jeopardy.
