Whereas BC Ferries vehicle traffic levels in 2018 were the highest ever experienced by BC Ferries and traffic demand is forecast to continue to grow; And whereas coastal ferries are an extension of the provincial highway system relied upon to transport people and goods, safely, efficiently and on time, and are therefore crucial to the economic and social health of coastal communities and the BC tourism industry: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to review the Coastal Ferry Services Contract and implement changes to increase Core Service Levels for coastal ferry routes that support additional sailings and reduce wait times during peak travel periods.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Government has made it a priority to improve ferry services. Some actions that have been taken, include: increasing the minimum contracted service levels, reducing fares, reinstating the seniors discounts and amending the Coastal Ferry Act to put the public interest in the forefront of decision-making. To implement these changes, Government has increased its funding by nearly 40 million annually a 20 increase. While the Ministry has no plans to further increase contracted service levels, BC Ferries provides services on many routes above the contracted level. We anticipate that they will continue to assess their service levels to ensure that the services meet the community needs. The Ministry intends to develop of vision for coastal ferry services to ensure that ferry travellers and ferry dependent communities will have the services they need into the future.