From April 1, ferry fares will go up. For a return trip from Horseshoe Bay to Snug Cove, the passenger ticket price will go from $10.20 to $10.65, the price for a ticket for a passenger vehicle will jump from $29.20 to $30.40.
In a press release, BC Ferries states, "Prices will rise by 4.15 per cent on average on all routes across the fleet. This increase was approved last spring in Bill 14, an amendment to the Coastal Ferry Act. Subsequent price caps will be determined following the province's response to the BC Ferry Commissioner's report. Fare increases are required due to the rising cost of operating and capital expenditures coupled with lower than anticipated traffic levels."
Councillor Allison Morse sits on the Ferry Advisory Committee. She explained that the 4.15 per cent increase represents less than the original fare cap of 8.23 per cent for the minor routes that the previous Ferry Commissioner had suggested. After the appointment of new BC Ferry Commissioner Gordon Macatee last May, he initiated a review of the Coastal Ferries Act to get a better understanding of the situation, according to Morse.
She said, "When the Ministry of Transportation mandated the review, it reduced the fare cap for the first year for the performance term three to 4.15 per cent for all routes." Morse said that BC Ferries' contract runs on cycles that start on April 1. "In June of 2011, the BC Ferries Commissioner said this is our preliminary fare cap," Morse said. "It was set by the BC Ferries Commissioner following a consultation process between BC Ferries and the government."
Morse says that there will be no other changes to the ferry fares for the year other than possible hikes in fuel surcharges.
"I have no idea what will happen next April. The Ferry Commissioner's report has been handed to the government and it will be up to the government. There have been no concrete responses from ministry yet," Morse said adding that she doesn't hold out much hope for additional subsidies from the province. "I don't know how the Minister of Transportation will react but the province's budget has stayed the same since two years ago."
BC Ferries has also issued a press release that informs its customers that the Queen of Capilano will undergo maintenance repairs overnight on Saturday, March 24. As a result, the following late night and early morning sailings will be cancelled: on Saturday, March 24, the 9:35 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay and the 10 p.m. sailing from Bowen Island and on Sunday, March 25, the 6 a.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay. Regular scheduled sailings will resume on Sunday, March 25, with the 6:30 a.m. departure from Bowen Island.
