People taking an intra-provincial ferry in Nova Scotia will no longer have to pay for it, Premier Iain Rankin announced on Saturday.
In a release, the province said it will permanently remove fees from all intra-provincial ferries “to help make transportation more affordable and accessible for Nova Scotians.”
“Our seven ferry services are an integral part of the provincial transportation network and pick up where the highway leaves off,” said Rankin in the release.
“The permanent elimination of ferry fees will reduce the financial burden on local residents and visitors.”
This announcement comes on the heels of a series of other government announcements which could signal a potential provincial election call in the summer.
Ferry fees, which range from $7 for cars and light trucks to $10 for commercial trucks, were temporarily suspended in March 2020 in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to 2020, the ferries were collecting about $1.3 million from passengers annually. The operating cost for the provincial ferries is about $10.7 each year.
The provincial ferries operate daily year-round and most have 24-hour service, the release said. They typically carry about one million passengers each year.
The ferries are located in:
- LaHave, Lunenburg County
- Country Harbour, Guysborough County
- Little Narrows, Victoria County
- Englishtown, Victoria County
- Tancook Islands, Lunenburg County
- Petit Passage, Digby County
- Grand Passage, Digby County
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