BC Ferries commissioner proposes fare hikes

[GLG]

Some information on the subject here in this new document.
Money for the low carbon economy and more money for the high carbon economy.
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/DownloadA...454E81820AE9792CCB72&filename=bconthemove.pdf

 

[Califbill]

last year (my boat and trailer are 54' also)... it cost us 380 each way. (4 passengers) when I went down to port angeles washington a couple years ago and used their ferry system (same length of trip) the cost was 76US (2 people)
we are being gouged and people just accept it. if my trailer had been another vehicle taking that space the charges would be significantly cheaper.

It's OK. We are rich boat owners. . Or at least according to at least one person here.
What is interesting about Black Ball ferries at P.A. Is there were 3 people at the dock. 2 guys who measured the rig, wrote the length on a post it and a lady in the booth collecting tolls. When we went from Haines, AK to Scagway. 14 miles, they had 5 in the office, probably 10 in the parking lot, and maybe 12 vehicles to cross. Some lady to turn off the propane in the RV. At Port Angeles they told us to turn off the propane and to stick the red and white sticker on the camper. I guess the government run operations are to give full employment to the maximum amount of people.

 

[Sir Reel]

Can't figure out why you would have to pay Commercial Rates unless your truck's GVW rating is over 12,000 lbs. Not that it matters, but according to the Ferry website, the cost of an overweight vehicle and trailer - 54' - would be about $300 one way. Passenger costs would be extra.

I read on this forum that once you either exceeded either a certain weight or length they classified you as commercial. I have not personally tested it.
However at non commercial rates I would pay $260.65 plus $16.25 per person so with 2 guys $293.15.
If in fact it was commercial then $325.40 plus 2 guys is
$357.90 or $360 as I said. Even at non commercial that is still $600 return.
Will see if I can email or call BC ferries and confirm.

 

[Sir Reel]

Here is the forum link I found the info on.

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum...igs-and-Trailers&highlight=ferries+commercial

 

[bigbruce]

This is the definition of a Commercial Vehicle from the BCF Website:

Commercial Vehicles

A commercial vehicle is any vehicle with a Registered Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of over 5,500 kg or 12,100 lb.

You can make your commercial vehicle reservation online for commercial vehicles up to 9 feet wide.

This includes the following vehicle types:
Commercial Vehicle (Registered 5,500 kg/GVW)
Semi
Semi A/B Train

I tow my 34' 5th wheel behind my extended cab 1 ton truck and pay the regular over height/over length rate.

 

[ziggy]

Much as I also like to complain about BC Ferries I have to laugh when I think back to the old Black Ball days. I remember traveling on the Sunshine Coast route as a kid with the Bainbridge and Smokwa , the Smokwa broke down pretty regularly and at one point they ran her for quite some time with tugs buttoned on. Made for a long crossing! Don't miss those days at all.

 

[terrin]

When I first started making fishing trips to the island in 1990 I had a 19' boat and the ferry cost me $76 each way.
In 2004 I got a new 21' boat that was above 7' high so got bumped to the next rate. Started paying about $150 each way. Last time in 2013 it was $194 each way. Now my boat is 26' and with truck and trailer is 54' long. From what I undestand I would be paying commercial rates and would be about $360 each way. Can't justtify that.
So I probably won't be going on the ferry anymore and will stick to the east side of the island or take my boat around to Sooke or Bamfield. Even with fuel costs would be about 1/3 the cost of the ferry and no parking or launching fees either. Actually get there quicker too.

. Yeah that's the way I see it too but I guess it all depends on who's ox is getting gored. Then to top it off you can only get one Hali per trip it just makes you think about the rational about going that way where in years past it was a lot easier to just go for the trip. Wonder what the island guys would think if they get cut down to say six/ day limit on a tuna trip. Wouldn't want to see it happen but that's what the mainlanders are faced with. Maybe if they lowered the ferry fares more people would actually use them and spur the economy.

 

[walleyes]

Ahh come on now boys,, got to pay for those Union wages some how.. Don't yah all just love those Unions out there,, aren't they just the cats meow.. Got to feed the machine somehow,, has to come from someone's pocket.. Or maybe the government should just jump up and grab the money from that magic money tree that sits up there and subsidizes those Union wages,, geez how could I forget,, lol..

 

[Seafever]

Oh...right...of course.....blame it on the unions.....although union members don't make the corporate decisions as far as running the operation.

Cutting back their wages isn't going to make the idiots running the show geniuses any time soon.

Ferry fiasco? Last century the NDP got all the flack.

The current "ferry fiasco" has nothing to do with NDP or unions.

Year after year after year ( how many....going on 16 now?).....the current regime botches it.

 

[walleyes]

Lol,, well I am sure it's a combination of both in the end.

The problem lies in the fact the government or any agent of it should not be left to run a business. It has been proven over many attempts and years it can't work. Personely I think it should be put out on tender and the boats leased out to private enterprise for a set period of time and let private industry run it. Union or not, there would no doubt have to be some trimming of the fat to make it work and a regulator ensuring the quality of service remains. But I would emagine this will never happen. Too much money invested by the differant regimes over the years to let it go, too many high level jobs would be at stake.

So we pay.. It's not unusual for me to bring my boat over twice a year,, have done it three times the odd year,, yes it's pricey but what can you do,, it's part of the trip that has to be figured in. Just have to tell yourself it's all part of helping the local economy is all. Hopefully in the next couple years I will be into a larger boat and I plan on just bringing it over in the spring and leaving it there until fall and going and bringing home for winter storage.

 

[Clint r]

Yes this ^^^^^^. But the biggest reason it won't happen is the govt doesn't want to let a cash cow like this slip through its fingers. Different topic but ICBC is the same thing.

 

[bigbruce]

What cash cow? The Government is subsidizing the Ferry Corp to the tune of $180 million per year. At least they are taking money out of ICBC.

 

[finaddict]

What cash cow? The Government is subsidizing the Ferry Corp to the tune of $180 million per year. At least they are taking money out of ICBC.

Exactly, and there is no doubt that BC Ferries is poorly run with a lot of mismanagement at the top and waaaay too much fat in the wages from top to bottom. I mean really....... $30.00/hour plus super benefits and pensions to park cars???? or sling Whitespot food at people? If this was a private business with competition, those luxury wages would have disappeared long ago.

 

[Kisinana]

I see a lot of complaining about union wages, but remember that we pay union size taxes. We have no write offs because of our employment. Still if you look at the wages we paid the top 5 executives to run BC Ferries we could probably hire 40 or 50 replacements at union rates and I am sure they would have more on the ball as to how the system needs to be run.
We all trash the system but when it comes right down to it I subsidize the inland ferries the new bridges for Vancouver residents to speed up their trips to work and the super highway to Whistler for the yuppies, we just need the government to subsidize the ferries the same as they do all other transportation in the province.
WAC Bennett may have been seen by some as crook, but as a politician at least he had a vision of greatness for all of the province and not just his pals like the current bunch.

 

[Kisinana]

Problem with double posting

 

[Aces]

I see a lot of complaining about union wages, but remember that we pay union size taxes. We have no write offs because of our employment. Still if you look at the wages we paid the top 5 executives to run BC Ferries we could probably hire 40 or 50 replacements at union rates and I am sure they would have more on the ball as to how the system needs to be run.
We all trash the system but when it comes right down to it I subsidize the inland ferries the new bridges for Vancouver residents to speed up their trips to work and the super highway to Whistler for the yuppies, we just need the government to subsidize the ferries the same as they do all other transportation in the province.
WAC Bennett may have been seen by some as crook, but as a politician at least he had a vision of greatness for all of the province and not just his pals like the current bunch.

Maybe they should start charging for the inland ferries, that would increase their revenues and they wouldn't have to raise the Island ferry's rates

 

[finaddict]

I see a lot of complaining about union wages, but remember that we pay union size taxes. We have no write offs because of our employment. Still if you look at the wages we paid the top 5 executives to run BC Ferries we could probably hire 40 or 50 replacements at union rates and I am sure they would have more on the ball as to how the system needs to be run.
We all trash the system but when it comes right down to it I subsidize the inland ferries the new bridges for Vancouver residents to speed up their trips to work and the super highway to Whistler for the yuppies, we just need the government to subsidize the ferries the same as they do all other transportation in the province.
WAC Bennett may have been seen by some as crook, but as a politician at least he had a vision of greatness for all of the province and not just his pals like the current bunch.

K, You are 100% correct on the rest of the province subsidizing highways in Vancouver and in particular Whistler as well as ferries on other highway systems. Never really understood how the TransCanada highway that travels across Canada to Horseshoe Bay, and eventually ends up at Tofino does not include the ferry trip across the pond.

What I am not following is your economics on union wages vs. union taxes. Union taxes from union employees who work in government subsidized programs (i.e. BC ferries) does not compensate for work that is overpaid for in the first place. Market rates for most of the non trade positions in BC Ferries (i.e. Traffic direction, food services) are substantially lower than present rates within BC Ferries (and yes the same is true for many junior and senior management positions). The biggest problem with BC Ferries as I see it is that they want it both ways. They want to have ludicrously high wages and overemploy at all levels, and than insist that this is not part of the highways system and that the user must indeed pay for the system (other than the 180 million provincial subsidy, which accounts for a very small percentage of annual operating costs).

 

[finaddict]

Maybe they should start charging for the inland ferries, that would increase their revenues and they wouldn't have to raise the Island ferry's rates

Ah but the rub is which political party is in which ridings. Note that with the exception of Victoria, the Island is a bastion of NDP support and has been for decades, whereas the interior ridings where most of these in-land ferries are So-Cred/liberal and also have been for decades. Co-incidence????? Inquiring minds want to know .

 

[Kisinana]

Based on 2009 3.8 million of BC residents were earners so were taxable, of those 1.6 million were able to pay no tax. This leaves the tax burden to fall to 58 percent of us.
Of those who earned 100K after deductions and over, paid 40 percent of the collected tax
Those under 50K after deductions paid 16 percent
Meaning those between 50K and 100K paid the other 44 percent

All I was saying by union jobs paying union wages was that those wages pay in that 84 percent range.

 

[Wiseguy]

If they want to start trimming costs, why not start at the top, with the overpaid CEOs and upper management salaries. These fat cats are living high on the hog. Not the working guy on the docks parking the cars or the dude flipping burgers in the cafeteria eking out a living for his family. What a facking joke raising the price of ferries again. If I was a guide over there and this starts affecting my living, I would be screaming bloody hell. Organize and demonstrate. Your voices need to be heard.