Close X
Saturday, November 16, 2024
ADVT 
National

BC Ferries Fares To Rise Again In April And For Next Four Years: Commissioner

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 Sep, 2015 04:45 PM
    VICTORIA — Coastal travellers will see stable but rising fares when sailing aboard BC Ferries over the next four years.
     
    Ferries commissioner Gord Macatee confirmed Wednesday that price increases will be capped at 1.9 per cent per year from 2016 to 2020, as proposed earlier this year.
     
    Macatee outlined his decision for the hike in a report after conducting an independent review of the newest Coastal Ferry Services contract.
     
    He determined that answering public demands for a rollback in fares was outside of his authority.
     
    "The commissioner notes that a great deal of work has gone into addressing fare affordability over the past four years," a news release said.
     
    Such efforts have resulted in caps below the Bank of Canada's target inflation rate of two per cent, it said.
     
    Lowering fares was "incompatible" with BC Ferries' mandate to balance its interests as well as those of ferry users and taxpayers, the release said.
     
    The provincial government said the fare increases, beginning next April 1, will be the lowest since 2003.
     
    Transportation Minister Todd Stone described the decision as good news for ferry users.
     
    But he added BC Ferries must keep progressing toward achieving the government's vision of lower fares.
     
    "There is more work for BC Ferries to do over the next four years to further reduce pressure on fares to ensure our coastal ferry service operates as efficiently and affordably as possible, well into the future," Todd said in a release.
     
    In June, BC Ferries announced a $30-million jump in net earnings, and its president Mike Corrigan said that would allow fares to stay at or below projected inflation rates.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Sentencing Of Former Paramedic On Sexual Assault Adjourned Until October

    Sentencing Of Former Paramedic On Sexual Assault Adjourned Until October
    Judge Claudine MacDonald adjourned sentencing today until Oct. 26 at the request of James Duncan Keats's lawyer so Keats can undergo a forensic sexual offender assessment.

    Sentencing Of Former Paramedic On Sexual Assault Adjourned Until October

    No Weekend Vancouver Gig For Jon Bon Jovi At Stanley Park; City Says Promoter Didn't Get Permits

    No Weekend Vancouver Gig For Jon Bon Jovi At Stanley Park; City Says Promoter Didn't Get Permits
    Fans of rocker Jon Bon Jovi may be feeling "shot through the heart" about the cancellation of a weekend concert in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

    No Weekend Vancouver Gig For Jon Bon Jovi At Stanley Park; City Says Promoter Didn't Get Permits

    Stephen Harper Hails Indian Diaspora, Lauds India-Canada Relations In Toronto

    Stephen Harper Hails Indian Diaspora, Lauds India-Canada Relations In Toronto
    Harper said: "In this uncertain and dangerous world, it is most comforting to know that Canada has certain friends like India."

    Stephen Harper Hails Indian Diaspora, Lauds India-Canada Relations In Toronto

    Canada Ranks Sixth On Freedom Index, Says Fraser Institute Study

    Canada Ranks Sixth On Freedom Index, Says Fraser Institute Study
    Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory, tops the rankings followed by Switzerland, Finland, Denmark and New Zealand rounding out the top five

    Canada Ranks Sixth On Freedom Index, Says Fraser Institute Study

    Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman Calls Summit As City Tries To Shake 'Most Racist' Label

    Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman Calls Summit As City Tries To Shake 'Most Racist' Label
    Mayor Brian Bowman says the race relations summit, to be held by the Canadian Centre for Human Rights, will continue a much-needed discussion about racism.

    Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman Calls Summit As City Tries To Shake 'Most Racist' Label

    Suspect In Elderly Indian-American Couple's Murder Arrested

    Suspect In Elderly Indian-American Couple's Murder Arrested
    Joshua Poacher was arrested and charged with the murders of Kantibhai A. Patel, 72, and his wife Hansaben K. Patel, 67, in Jasper county

    Suspect In Elderly Indian-American Couple's Murder Arrested