November 03, 2005
B.C. Ferries raising fares through the back door
News Release | Front Page | Gary Coons | English
VICTORIA: B.C. Ferries is raising fares through the back door by ending low-season deals, Gary Coons said Thursday.
Coons, the North Coast MLA and New Democrat Opposition critic for Ferries and Ports, says ferry users continue to get less than they deserve from the privatized corporation, but still get stuck with higher fares.
On top of a Nov. 1 fare increase, B.C. Ferries is ending its long-standing practice of low-season deals, which normally kick in during the winter months. There are now only the peak-season fares in the summer and the shoulder-season fares.
"This was a tradeoff," said Coons. "The winter schedule has fewer sailings and fewer options for people who use the marine highway. In the past, B.C. Ferries recognized that and lowered fares to acknowledge this reduced service."
Coons pointed to the planned cancellation of two sailings of the Queen of Burnaby between Comox and Powell River this Sunday (Nov. 6) as a prime example of why the ferry corporation needs to be back in public hands and under public scrutiny.
"People are regularly being inconvenienced by higher fares and poorer service," said Coons. "There was a newspaper story of a hockey game being delayed in Nanaimo because of the problem with the Queen of Burnaby.
"As a former hockey player, that bothers me, but what we don't hear about are the thousands of people who are being inconvenienced by poor service by B.C. Ferries. We won't hear about people having to make fewer trips because fares continue to rise, even as service drops," he said.
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Coons, the North Coast MLA and New Democrat Opposition critic for Ferries and Ports, says ferry users continue to get less than they deserve from the privatized corporation, but still get stuck with higher fares.
On top of a Nov. 1 fare increase, B.C. Ferries is ending its long-standing practice of low-season deals, which normally kick in during the winter months. There are now only the peak-season fares in the summer and the shoulder-season fares.
"This was a tradeoff," said Coons. "The winter schedule has fewer sailings and fewer options for people who use the marine highway. In the past, B.C. Ferries recognized that and lowered fares to acknowledge this reduced service."
Coons pointed to the planned cancellation of two sailings of the Queen of Burnaby between Comox and Powell River this Sunday (Nov. 6) as a prime example of why the ferry corporation needs to be back in public hands and under public scrutiny.
"People are regularly being inconvenienced by higher fares and poorer service," said Coons. "There was a newspaper story of a hockey game being delayed in Nanaimo because of the problem with the Queen of Burnaby.
"As a former hockey player, that bothers me, but what we don't hear about are the thousands of people who are being inconvenienced by poor service by B.C. Ferries. We won't hear about people having to make fewer trips because fares continue to rise, even as service drops," he said.
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- Vaughn Palmer (Vancouver Sun), August 14, 2010