New figures show traffic on BC Ferries between the mainland and Vancouver Island is down over last year, with a significant drop in February.
Victoria-based Chemistry Consulting found that the number of vehicles traveling between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay in February declined more than seven per cent over last year.
The routes between the mainland and Vancouver Island are some of the ferry corporation’s busiest and most-profitable.
Passenger numbers on the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay route were down six per cent.
One bright spot was the increased number of buses traveling the route, up 22 per cent over last year.
On the Tsawwassen-Duke Point route, the numbers were down across the board for February.
There were four per cent fewer vehicles; four per cent fewer passengers; and 19 per cent fewer buses using the route compared to February of last year.
On the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route, vehicle and passenger traffic was down almost four per cent, while bus traffic was down nearly eight per cent.
BC Ferries increased fares in January by 3.5 per cent, to cover rising fuel costs.
On top of that, as of April 1, seniors are no longer able to walk on for free Monday-Thursday. Instead, they now receive 50 per cent off the passenger fare, Monday-Thursday.
BC Ferries is also planning to reduce services on some minor routes and on the higher-cost northern routes, as part of an initiative to save $19 million.
The service adjustments come into effect this month with changes to major routes to be made prior to April 2016.
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