British Columbia owes a debt of gratitude to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM).
For years civic governments and citizens have asked the Province to undertake detailed needs assessments of what ferry dependent communities want and need from BC Ferries. Steadfastly refusing to do so, the government imposed excessive fare increases and service cuts.
Empirically, ferry dependent communities felt the damage of provincial policies but lacked the statistics to make a strong case for a different BC Ferries mandate, until now.
A new UBCM commissioned study, “Boatswains to Bollards: A Socioeconomic Impact Analysis of BC Ferries”, provides those statistics and concludes:
• Provincial BC Ferries policies cost the BC economy some $2.3 billion from 2003 – 13:
• Excessive fares and reduced service produced fewer users:
• Every government dollar invested in BC Ferries returns $8.40 in economic activity:
• BC Ferries is the only major transportation mode experiencing declining passenger volumes, and
• BC Ferries is not providing the service needed at a price that encourages greater usage.
The 1,000 UBCM delegates at their Whistler convention voted unanimously to call on the Province to:
- Restore service cuts and roll back fares to 2013 levels;
- Pause and undertake further socioeconomic impact studies;
- Recognize the coastal ferry system is an extension of our highways and fund it accordingly, and
- Work cooperatively with coastal and other communities to develop a long-term strategy for our coastal ferry system.
The BC Ferry Coalition applauds the UBCM for commissioning the report. Although Transportation Minister Todd Stone attacked the study as inaccurate, he provides zero facts to refute the evidence. He effectively opposes job creation and economic growth and provides further proof of the lack of provincial government commitment to taking any positive steps for improving ferry service, now or in the future.
