As families and friends gather next weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving, there is one issue that won’t be making the list of things to be grateful for: ferry fares.
BC Ferry Commissioner Gordon Macatee announced on Monday he was approving a 12 per cent hike in fares over three years. He authorized a 4.1 per cent increase in 2013, 4.0 per cent in 2014 and 3.9 per cent in 2015.
The increases have created a shock wave for residents of communities that depend on ferry service. In January, Macatee released a study that found ferry fares were already at a tipping point of affordability and were causing hardship in coastal communities. High fares affect every aspect of life in ferry-dependent communities and the increasing fares make survival questionable.
BC Ferries reported a net loss of $16.5 million for the fiscal year that ended on March 31. Vehicle traffic dropped 3.5 per cent during the fiscal year, the lowest in 13 years, while the number of passengers fell 2.8 per cent, a 21-year low.
Last June, the provincial government implemented changes to the Coastal Ferry Act, which included almost $80 million to help offset fare increases, but laid the foundation for cuts to ferry service. The amendment also called on BC Ferries to cut costs by $54 million over four years, with service level adjustments targeted at $30 million.
What is really causing the drop in revenues is high fares. The corporation is caught in a downward spiral of low ridership compounded by the upward spiral of increasing fares.
There are many demands on provincial coffers, but adequate support for ferries is a critical economic investment. Economic growth depends on solid transportation infrastructure and adequate ferry support is vital for the sustainability of essential coastal transportation.
People wiser than most say the path to happiness involves appreciating what we have. It’s increasingly difficult to appreciate BC Ferries and the lack of government support in sustaining a critical piece of public infrastructure for coastal communities.
BC Ferries operates as a quasi-private corporation that receives taxpayer funding. The current structure created by the province simply isn’t working for coastal communities. If a better way to operate BC Ferries can’t be found, it is time to return the system to the public sector once again.
As people in Powell River say time and time again, BC Ferries is our highway. The provincial government is responsible for ensuring sound public infrastructure and it needs to shoulder more of the costs that lead to high fares, including revenue shortfalls from falling traffic.
