Ferry passengers will pay more to ride on April 1 — a fare increase expected to generate $21 million for the mothership B.C. Ferries corporation.
Ferry commissioner Martin Crilly approved an increase in price caps for both major and minor B.C. Ferries routes on Friday.
B.C. Ferries is now crunching the numbers and is expected to announce the dollar amount of the increases near the end of this week.
The price-cap hike is 2.68 per cent for three major routes: Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen, Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo and Tsawwassen-Nanaimo.
A price-cap average increase of 5.68 per cent has been set for all other routes, including the system’s 18 minor routes, three northern runs and the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route.
B.C. Ferries expects to pin fares close to the top of the price cap, said spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.
Still, a five per cent price increase on the majority of minor routes — Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour on Saltspring Island, for example – will translate to a hike of only about 45 cents, said Marshall.
Ticket prices on minor routes already include a fuel rebate of about five per cent and there’s a two per cent fuel rebate on the Horseshoe Bay- Langdale route.
New Democratic Party ferry critic Gary Coons warns the fare increases will mean a drop in ridership and less revenue for tourist-dependent businesses.
“It’s going to be devastation again to coastal communities and those on Vancouver Island,” Coons said, in a phone interview. “Along with the carbon tax and possible HST next July, [the fare increase] will be the nail in the coffin for many businesses and tourism-dependent entities.”
Fares have risen by 40 per cent on major routes and 60 per cent on minor routes since 2003, when B.C. Ferries was changed to operate like a private business, Coons said.
Studies show as fares go up 10 per cent, ridership drops about seven per cent and that trend will continue, Coons said.
Marshall doesn’t expect the nominal increase will drive down ridership or have an impact upon tourism, however.
He argues that soaring gas prices affect ferry traffic much more than fare increases.
“While I appreciate no one likes to pay more for goods or services, with increasing costs we have to have tariff adjustments from time to time,” Marshall said.
The fares for northern ferry routes were increased early, in September 2009, and will stay in place for 18 months, until April 1, 2011.The annual increases are set by the B.C. Ferry Commission.
By Cindy E. Harnett
Times Colonist
Wednesday, February 17, 2010