27 SEPTEMBER 2007 – Recent reports of ferry fare increases understate the actual impact on riders. When increases are applied to actual routes, fares will jump as high as 120% from the time the government restructured BC Ferries in 2003.

A range of figures has been reported recently. These are increases to fare caps, which apply to entire Route Groups. When the fare cap figures are applied to actual routes and current pre-paid ticket fares – the tickets used by the majority of coastal residents – the numbers show dramatically larger increases.

As an example, a parent and two children travelling from Alert Bay to Port Hardy for swimming lessons will pay 97% more in ferry costs in 2011, than they did in 2003.
• $15.52 in April 2003
• $22.90 currrently
• $30.60 in April 2011.

Most other routes show greater increases. Examples are in the Backgrounder attached. A full list of route fare increases and calculations are available by sending a reply email.

The Ferry Advisory Committee chairs (FACC) expect fares to increase even more than these figures, because they are designed to reflect any change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as well as further increases in fuel prices.

The FACC speak for ferry-dependent communities along the length of the BC coast. Residents in those communities ask government to consider the essential role of ferry transportation in filling basic needs and in supporting tourism and small business.

The FACC urges government to heed the calls and moderate the push toward user-pay service, which is driving the unprecedented increases. The FACC note that the cost of increasing baseline government contribution – which has not changed since 2003 – is a small expenditure relative to the benefits it would bring to British Columbians.

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Contacts

BACKGROUNDER
Announced increases to fare caps:
• 4.4% in November ’07
• 4% in April ’08
• 7.16% in each of April ’09, April ’10 and April ‘11 – if the CPI remains unchanged

Below, examples of fare cap increases on specific fares and routes.
Figures prepaid tickets for a regular vehicle and two adults – in dollars.

ROUTES 21 and 22 – BUCKLEY BAY-DENMAN and DENMAN-HORNBY
April2003 – 10.17  Now – 16.80  April2011 – 22.45
INCREASE 2003-2011:  121%

ROUTE 18 – POWELL RIVER-TEXADA
April2003 – 13.48  Now – 20.55  April2011 – 27.46
INCREASE 2003-2011:  104%

ROUTE 8 – HORSESHOE BAY-BOWEN
April2003 – 15.77  Now – 23.35  April2011 – 31.05
INCREASE 2003-2011:  98%

ROUTE 3 and 7 – HORSESHOE BAY-LANGDALE and SALTERY BAY-EARL’S COVE
April2003 – 30.77  Now – 41.45  April2011 – 51.68
INCREASE 2003-2011:  80%

ROUTE 23 – CAMPBELL RIVER-QUADRA
April2003 – 10.65  Now – 17.30  April2011 – 23.11
INCREASE 2003-2011:  117%

ROUTE 26 – SKIDIGATE-ALLIFORD BAY (WITHIN QCI)
April2003 – 10.60  Now – 17.30  April2011 – 22.88
INCREASE 2003-2011:  116%

The fare cap increases here apply to three of the four Route Groups within BC Ferries:
ROUTE GROUP 2 – ROUTE 3
3    Horseshoe Bay/Langdale
ROUTE GROUP 3 – NORTHERN ROUTES
10    Port/Hardy/Prince Rupert
11    Prince Rupert/Skidegate
ROUTE GROUP 4 – MINOR ROUTES
40    Discovery Coast
12    Brentwood Bay/Mill Bay
4    Swartz Bay/Saltspring
5    Swartz Bay/Outer Gulf Islands
6    Crofton/Saltspring
7    Saltery Bay/Earls Cove
8    HorseshoeBay/Bowen Island
9    Tsawwessen/Gulf Islands
17    Comox/Powell River
18    Powell River/Texada
19    Nanaimo Harbour/Gabriola
20    Chemainus/Thetis/Kuper
21    Buckley Bay/Denman
22    Denman/Hornby
23    Campbell River/Quadra
24    Quadra/Cortes
25    Port McNeill/Alert Bay/Sointula
26    Skidegate/Alliford Bay
13    Langdale/Gambier/Keats