For most residents of Powell River increases to BC Ferries fares have become a fact of life over the decades. Whenever the ferry corporation decides to keep fares on local routes the same, as it did in 2016 and has again this year, many people are in a state of disbelief: we are so used to them going up.
A report released by Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee last week details the sharp increases in fares since the provincial Coastal Ferry Act in came into effect in 2003.
The numbers are staggering. Since that time, fares in our area have increased a whopping 110 per cent on the Sechelt Peninsula run, 120 per cent on the route to Comox and 140 per cent for Texada Island. Meanwhile, the government’s level of commitment in subsidizing the ferry system has decreased.
Not surprisingly, ridership on the three local runs has also declined. The key for the success of the ferry system seems to be on the backs of those who use it, but many travellers can no longer afford the fares. It is way overdue for government to step up and figure out a way to make BC Ferries viable, aside from through fare increases.
The corporation’s current increase limit, which ends in 2019 and is set at 1.9 per cent, has been a welcome reprieve from the hikes since 2003. It’s a classic case of too little, too late, however. For many, ferry fares have already climbed way too high.
With the provincial election fast approaching on May 9, ferries will be a monumental topic for candidates in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast riding, and rightly so.
It is up to voters in this riding to push the issue of rising ferry fares, the decreasing government subsidy level for BC Ferries and the need to scrutinize the Coastal Ferry Act, and whether it is needs an overhaul.
Ever since the act was signed in 2003, representatives of coastal-region ferry advisory committees have argued that it has not provided suitable service levels and is putting additional burdens on taxpayers.
If the original intent of the Coastal Ferry Act was to make BC Ferries better for coastal communities, then it has failed and the provincial government, whoever that may include, will need to make some changes.
Jason Schreurs, publisher/editor
