Coastal NDP MLAs are joining forces to try to sway government to protect ferry dependent communities from the latest round of BC Ferries' fuel surcharges.
North Coast MLA and ferry critic Gary Coons and the five other Coastal MLAs including Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons sent a letter to Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon on June 18 petitioning the minister to block BC Ferries from hiking ferry fares again.
"Ferry-dependent communities were promised stable fares when Premier Campbell privatized BC Ferries," said Coons. "Since then, fares have skyrocketed, increasing several times each year. This unbelievable money grab has to end."
The letter reads in part: "Please understand the situation our constituents are facing. They rely on ferries as part of their highway. These ever-spiralling fare increases have a profound impact on individuals, businesses, tourism and ultimately the viability of entire communities. In the past you have declined to use your authority as minister of transportation to protect people in coastal communities from fare increases. But surely you can see that people are already stretched beyond their limits. Increased ferry fares - combined with gas costs, food costs, heating costs and all the other increased costs people are facing - are making life increasing difficult in ferry-dependent communities.
"It's time to stop the endless spiral of ferry fare increases. Please, for the sake of everyone who lives in coastal communities, step in and tell the BC Ferry Corporation that enough is enough. Freeze the fare increases and provide the stability that your government promised."
Simons said residents in this riding are also getting frustrated by always having to dip into their pockets to find more money to travel.
"I think everyone in ferry-dependent communities is feeling frustrated," said Simons. "You can't get answers from David Hahn, from Falcon or the ferry commissioner. If the prices were going up at the Coquihalla tollbooth, everyone would be up in arms, but because it's ferry travel we just have to sit back and accept it? That's not good enough. I thought asking the minister questions in the House would do something. I thought talking to the ferry advisory committees would do something. I thought talking to David Hahn and the ferry commissioner would do something, but despite all of that, still nothing has been done. This letter and petition to Minister Falcon is just another way to keep the pressure on. There has to be some relief for the people who are most impacted, and we're a community that is most impacted."
Coast Reporter attempted to contact Minister Falcon for comment on the letter, but he was out of the country on an Asia trade mission on behalf of the province and was unavailable for comment.
