VANCOUVER — A group representing people who use B.C. Ferries on minor routes along the coast is calling for a 25 per cent rollback in fares and a new funding plan to pay for new ships.
The Ferry Advisory Committee speaks for ferry users on the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and other smaller routes that are dependent on ferries.
It says people can’t afford what it calls crippling fares, which are leading to lost jobs, businesses and collapsing tourism.
The committee says the government is offloading the cost of operating the ferry system onto travellers instead of running up the public debt.
It’s calling on the government to fund a 25 per cent rollback of fares on non-major routes to bring them closer to inflation increases of the past decade.
The committee also wants a new capital plan that would provide money to replace old ships on the minor routes, some of which are as much as 54 years old. — CP
