Ferry Lottery?

[Seafever]

IMO the BC ferries are pricing themselves out of the market..........and with every ticket price increase it 's another reason not to use them.

But would a lottery fix some of their "problems"?

Would a continual lottery be legal?

At least that way they'd get more revenue and there would be people taking home cash prizes and sub prizes....

I know a lot of people will disagree that BCF should receive any more of the taxpayer's money at all in any form....

But seeing as how people buy lottery tickets anyway....it might be a sort of win-win for both parties............or not.....I don't know.....

 

[Jencourt]

I would tend to think long before another lottery to act as another TAX they should be addressing what the true problems are.

I always hear that most of the money being lost is attributed to the small Island routes and that the main routes end up costing way more to subsidize those loosing money daily. So remove from the equation for a moment, the over paid executives, is this where the most loss occurs? Call me idealistic, but I have a problem with it if it is true. People choose to live in remote and isolated locations for a reason. Why should others have to pay the price so they can maintain their desired life style. I know it is way easier to hide if spread across all the routes. That dose not make it right though. Maybe the cost of choosing to live in so called "isolation" should be on the shoulders of those who make that choice. I would like to live out of town in the country,far away from the business town and subdivision living. Are you all willing to pay the extra fuel costs I will endure in order to drive my kids to and from school and to activities ? Will you agree to pay the added cost of getting my wife and I to work so we can earn wages and pay taxes ? I highly doubt that.

Again I base this comment off of what I have always been told is the largest contributor to the excessive fees. If this is not the case then so educate me,as my point would be mute.

Not saying I have an answer. Just saying based on what I hear I feel there are things to address long before trying to invent new ways to hide the fact that we are paying more and more.

 

[tubber]

Mainlanders who don't use the ferries much consider Comox a lifestyle choice too. Is Woss less isolated than Ganges? Capital costs of ships and infrastructure should be paid by all taxpayers like schools and highways. The Corporation is a way for government to hide debt when trying to present balanced budgets. BC Ferries shouldn't be a for profit business. It is a series of highways, nothing more. They should only be able to raise rates to be keep up to inflation.

LNG will solve all our financial problems, so no more lotteries are needed. Christy said as much.

 

[ziggy]

Yeah it's funny how the ferries are the only means of transit expected to break even. Can't imagine any other form of transit being totally user pay? Sky train, West coast Express, transit buses or even the sea buses, all heavily subsidized! Then there is the answer to "it's a lifestyle choice you made", well so is living in the Valley, the North Shore, Richmond etc., but bridges and tunnels are for the most part free and those that are tolled are constantly complained about.
I don't agree that under utilized ferries should continue to be run at a loss. I can't believe Salt Spring has three different ferry runs! People have to be realistic! But whenever I hear the user pay gem, I ask why stop with ferries, why not bridges, tunnels,buses and trains?

 

[Derby]

Believe it or not Skytrain at least when I work for them for over 12 years made money...of course take out the capital cost but it did cover all it running cost and the spare money was dumped into the buses..Which I believe was the most expensive to run.. could have changed since I haven't work there for 9 years now

 

[finaddict]

Believe it or not Skytrain at least when I work for them for over 12 years made money...of course take out the capital cost but it did cover all it running cost and the spare money was dumped into the buses..Which I believe was the most expensive to run.. could have changed since I haven't work there for 9 years now

Not to disagree with you too strongly here Derby, but that is some of the most creative accounting justification I have ever heard. Anyone who does not include capital costs in the P&L is an accounting moron. Translink capital and operating costs have been subsidized by gasoline taxes for decades.

 

[Derby]

Of course...(but that is some of the most creative accounting justification ) .... Skytrain is still one of the most efficient people movers in the world.. instead of costing it made surplus of which gets swallowed up in translink red hole....

 

[ziggy]

Thought I'd look up skytrains profit. I found a dated article from 2006 that declared a profit. Interestingly though it went on to say less than 54% of the income was from fares? I guess I have a different definition of profit than TransLink. Heck if they took over the ferries they could declare them a gold mine.lol

 

[finaddict]

Of course...(but that is some of the most creative accounting justification ) .... Skytrain is still one of the most efficient people movers in the world.. instead of costing it made surplus of which gets swallowed up in translink red hole....

Efficient in what manner? People per hour? Doubt it, Tokyo, London, New York, hell even Chicago has more efficient systems. Cost per person per mile? Not even close. We are in the process of putting a BILLION dollar tunnel through Port Moody because lobbyists wanted the evergreen line to go through downtown Port Moody instead of along the Lougheed Highway to coquitlam centre. More wasted money.

I am sure that the Skid Train accountants will tell whatever lies they want in order to justify their existence and try to get everyone to drink the Kool-Aid. The hard cold truth is that Skytrain has never turned a profit and it never will until it is TRULY a user pays fare, But then I guess $10 or $12 a ride just wouldn't be palatable.

 

[Derby]

I'm not going to get into this with U.. you will be able to argue all day long & you will be absolutely right.... enjoy your day..cheers

 

[finaddict]

I'm not going to get into this with U.. you will be able to argue all day long & you will be absolutely right.... enjoy your day..cheers

Thanks Derby, you too. I agree, there are far better things to discuss. Fishing and gear comes to mind. ;-) Cheers

 

[Derby]

My though... better discuss over beers in person......