As frequent travellers on B.C. Ferries and consumers of many a Sunshine Breakfast, the chubby sea dogs at K&K maintain an Ahab-like watch over the stormy fortunes of our province’s floating highway system. And the latest forecast is not good.
In June it was reported that vehicle traffic on B.C. Ferries had hit a 13-year low, while passenger traffic was down to its lowest levels in 21 years, all adding up to a reported net loss of $16.5 million. Of course, the fact Gordon Campbell’s government privatized B.C. ferries in 2003 and appointed million-dollar-a-year man David Hahn to head the company and pay its executives like they were working for Coca Cola is mere coincidence.
Critics, ourselves included, have attributed the decrease in ferry traffic and revenue to a steady increase in fares over the years, compounded with the company’s rather pricey reservation system, and a constantly changing ferry schedule, which makes ferry travel an ordeal at the best of times.
So faced with decreasing ridership and revenues, what is B.C. Ferries’ answer to its current woes? Raising fares an average of four per cent every year for the next three years while decreasing its services. According to CBC, B.C. Ferries has already eliminated 98 round trip sailings on its major routes between now and March, backing down from its original plan to cut 400 sailings.
Don’t get us wrong. We’re all for the concept of “paying more for less” if it involves weight loss programs, acne medication or designer underwear, but as a financial model for increasing ridership and revenue for the beleaguered B.C. Ferries, it just doesn’t float.
k&k@vancourier.com
Twitter: @KudosKvetches
