When it comes to news about BC Ferries, most of the time it is never really good. So this week, we have some good and some not so good news.
We look it as the glass half full, half empty effect.
First — the good news.
Youth sports teams that travel to the Lower Mainland can now — finally — travel for free on Route 3 between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale.
We first broke the story in October of the proposed youth sports team discount program. Now, thanks to work by the Sunshine Coast Regional District, which is administering the program, everything is finally in place.
In fact, last weekend a youth hockey team was the first to utilize the new travel vouchers.
Thanks is due to all involved for finally getting this done and giving our youth sports teams a much-needed financial break, but we would be remiss to not single out and mention southern Sunshine Coast ferry advisory committee member Jakob Knaus who has lobbied for years to have a student discount extended to our sports teams. Take a bow, Jakob, you certainly have earned it.
Now, for the not so good news. On Tuesday, the Vancouver Sun reported that BC Ferries was over-charging the BC Ambulance Service, RCMP and BC Hydro crews who respond to medical, policing and power emergencies when travelling to the Gulf Islands and other remote communities.
And we’re not talking a few bucks either. Ferries are still crunching the numbers, but it appears the over-charging is well over $50,000.
It’s just not right.
Thankfully, BC Ferries, after getting an earful from the public and politicians when the story broke, jumped on the matter pretty quickly.
Ferries CEO Mike Corrigan said the higher billing rates were simply an oversight and that the corporation was moving swiftly to correct the billing. So the RCMP, Ambulance Service and Hydro are looking at a combined refund of more than $50,000.
And the news gets better for the Ambulance Service as Corrigan said the corporation will also stop charging a delayed sailing fee for emergencies that happen during regular sailing hours while waiting for police or ambulance to attend, if that wait time is nine minutes or less. This is also good news.
Say what you will about BC Ferries and their service. They might not always get it right, but we applaud them for taking steps to right this wrong.
