B.C. transportation minister says he has no plans to cut ticket prices for BC Ferries passengers.
On Wednesday, politicians at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention unanimously endorsed a report calling for fares to be dropped.
A recent study showed increasing ticket costs have had a negative impact on the B.C. economy, costing the province billions of dollars.
The transportation minister is acknowledging that fare affordability is an issue, but says rolling back fares is not an option.
“Our government has no plans to roll back any service adjustments that were made,” said Stone. “We have no plans to interfere in the independent process respecting rates, certainly for the rate increase that the B.C. ferry commissioner has set for next year.”
However, Stone does say fares cannot continue to escalate at the same rate that they have for the last decade.
“That is why we have been focused on throwing everything we possibly can at driving downward pressure on fares,” he says.
Stone says there are service adjustments and efficiencies BC Ferries is expected to achieve. BC Ferries plans to convert its two largest vessels to dual-fuel capability, allowing the ships to operate on both diesel and liquefied natural gas to save millions of dollars a year.
“All of these dollars will be plowed back into BC Ferries’ bottom line, which will help apply downward pressure,” says Stone.
BC Ferries also reported a $13 million profit in last quarter.
Fares are set to rise by nearly four per cent in 2015 after going up in April.
Stone hopes by 2016, fare increases will be much more in line with inflation.
“I think we can get there, but it is going to require being creative,” he says.
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