Editor:
In my interview with John Gleeson of Coast Reporter (April 24), John accurately reported the discussion we had about fares and the need to ensure that the conversation about them doesn’t drive away tourists and local visitors.
What I failed to do in the interview is set the context for those remarks, nor talk specifically about our commuting passengers, for whom fare affordability continues to be a concern.
The major routes account for almost 80 per cent of BC Ferries’ revenues, and 70 per cent of travel on these routes is discretionary — either by people within British Columbia or visitors from the rest of Canada, the U.S. and overseas.
Encouraging more of those discretionary travellers to use BC Ferries will increase overall revenue, which is one way to drive fares down, or at the very least, ensure they don’t go up any further.
Fare affordability is top-of-mind for me, and I could have done a better job of ensuring I stated that outright, rather than thinking it might be taken for granted. We have a first class system and I want the world to come to our coast and drive revenue for both BC Ferries and the coastal communities we serve.
Mike Corrigan, president and CEO, BC Ferries
