Sunday, September 16, 2007

25 percent rise in Ferry rates on the way?


David Hahn, President and CEO of BC Ferries was on the Bill Good program on Friday morning, outlining some of the latest developments of the provinces coastal transportation system. Ferry increases will range from 15 % on the major southern routes to 25 %until 2012 on the minor and Northern routes of the service.
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Hahn seems to have trumped the BC Ferry Commission board which is still deliberating what rate hikes should be and has yet to actually post an announcement as to a any increase, with Mr. Hahn having declared his numbers, that decision now may be but the rubber stamp on the increased cost of traveling the waters of BC.

The reasons for increasing the rates for travel along the coastal waters were the need for new vessels and the increasing cost of marine fuel.

According to BC Ferries, the cost of fuel alone has doubled in the last five years, in 2002 BC ferries annual fuel cost came in at 45 million dollars, while projections for next year have the tab expected to exceed 90 million.

As for replacement vessels, the Ferry corporation already has three vessels under construction in Germany, the much discussed Super Ferries with a cost of 542 million dollars, the first vessel is expected to arrive in BC later this fall, delayed by a month due to some troubles that were discovered during sea trials this month. The three Super C class vessels, Coastal Inspiration, Coastal Celebration and Coastal Renaissance will be floating billboards for the upcoming 2010 Olympics.
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That same German shipyard has also been awarded the contract to build the replacement vessel for the Queen of the North which sank off of Gil Island in 2006 claiming two lives.
As a thank you of sorts to the workers in Germany, The Vancouver Province is reporting that the BC Gov't is treating everyone to a 20 dollar a plate free lunch on Friday when the newest addition to the BC Ferries fleet is launched. 3,000 guests will attend the event in Flensburg on Friday. Needless to say, the menu won't feature some of the more traditional fare of your average BC Ferry crossing, instead of the morning eye opener egg special, diners will receive barbecued bison burgers on bannock buns, the hungry man dinner of ferry builders we guess.

Hahn ran full media blitz on Friday to get the message out about developments at the Ferry Corporation, you can check out his conversation with Good from the CKNW Audio Archives, select the 8 to 9 and 9 to 10 hours for a replay of his comments and calls from British Columbians on the always entertaining and energetic debate about the provinces coastal service.

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