Post by ferryfast admin on Oct 4, 2011 10:16:26 GMT -5
Valley regional district backs paper on improving BC Ferries
By Lise Broadley, Comox Valley Echo October 4, 2011
www.canada.com/Valley+regional+district+backs+paper+improving+Ferries/5498031/story.html
The Comox Valley Regional District board is supporting a position paper from the 12 coastal regional district chairs regarding improvements to the B.C. Ferry coastal service. The paper was presented at the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.
The paper discusses the perceived problems with the ferry service, including the "unacceptable" cost, which the paper says has had collateral impact on coastal families, communities and economies.
Recommendations include the establishment of a new authority structure, which would see elected officials and members of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure forming the membership the B.C. Ferry Authority Board. The board, in turn, would have an obligation to oversee the ferry service but not have the authority to dictate how B.C. Ferries achieves the directed service levels.
The report does not blame B.C. Ferries solely for the problems it sees with coastal transportation.
According to the report, "B.C. Ferry Services are doing what they have been directed; it is the direction to them and their subsequent lack of accountability that is flawed and causing an adverse impact to our residents. However, it is expected that changes, and perhaps even dramatic changes, will occur within B.C. Ferry Services as a result of the provision of new strategic direction."
The paper also calls for B.C. Ferries to respond to customers' needs, guarantee routes, schedules and fares, and to absorb any debt incurred as a result of operation.
The report also calls for substantial reductions in ferry fares.
"The financial objectives of the coastal ferry service should be immediately redefined and fares should return to historic levels and/ or be dramatically reduced," it says.
Eleven regional districts, along with the Islands Trust, have already endorsed the paper.
By Lise Broadley, Comox Valley Echo October 4, 2011
www.canada.com/Valley+regional+district+backs+paper+improving+Ferries/5498031/story.html
The Comox Valley Regional District board is supporting a position paper from the 12 coastal regional district chairs regarding improvements to the B.C. Ferry coastal service. The paper was presented at the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.
The paper discusses the perceived problems with the ferry service, including the "unacceptable" cost, which the paper says has had collateral impact on coastal families, communities and economies.
Recommendations include the establishment of a new authority structure, which would see elected officials and members of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure forming the membership the B.C. Ferry Authority Board. The board, in turn, would have an obligation to oversee the ferry service but not have the authority to dictate how B.C. Ferries achieves the directed service levels.
The report does not blame B.C. Ferries solely for the problems it sees with coastal transportation.
According to the report, "B.C. Ferry Services are doing what they have been directed; it is the direction to them and their subsequent lack of accountability that is flawed and causing an adverse impact to our residents. However, it is expected that changes, and perhaps even dramatic changes, will occur within B.C. Ferry Services as a result of the provision of new strategic direction."
The paper also calls for B.C. Ferries to respond to customers' needs, guarantee routes, schedules and fares, and to absorb any debt incurred as a result of operation.
The report also calls for substantial reductions in ferry fares.
"The financial objectives of the coastal ferry service should be immediately redefined and fares should return to historic levels and/ or be dramatically reduced," it says.
Eleven regional districts, along with the Islands Trust, have already endorsed the paper.