BC Ferries new plan

[Snake Doctor]

I know the ferry system needs to generate more revenue but slot machines and other gambling on the boat does not make sense to me. Here is the article from CBC.

The B.C. government has confirmed it plans to reduce BC Ferries service on both minor and major routes, cut seniors' discounts and test slot machines on board one of its main routes. Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced the cuts and changes on Monday morning. "The first phase is service reductions to lower-use round trip sailings on the minor routes, and on the higher-cost northern routes, accounting for $14 million in net savings. These service adjustments will be implemented in April 2014," said Stone in a statement on Monday. Check the cuts to specific routes A total of 16 minor routes will be affected and six will not be affected. Most of the sailings to be cut were identified as running at roughly 20 per cent capacity or less. These include early morning and weekend sailings, and late night sailings on the weekends, particularly during the non-summer months. Other changes on the minor routes include combining separate sailing into combined sailings with multiple stops, and introducing a reservation system. Stone said there would be another round of community consultation this fall before the changes are finalized and rolled out this April. He did not have an estimate of the the number of jobs that might be affected. Future changes to the major routes are also planned, he said. "BC Ferries will also implement further changes to the major routes prior to April 2016 to achieve $4.9 million in savings. Minor and northern routes will not be affected by these changes." The specific details of how any of the major routes will be affected were not announced. Seniors discounts slashed Stone said the cuts and changes were made to make BC Ferries more financially sustainable. "The B.C. coastal ferry service has been wrestling with cost pressures for more than 20 years. We are making tough decisions today to ensure that our coastal ferry service is sustainable for future generations. These changes protect basic service levels and are in keeping with the fiscal realities facing provincial taxpayers." Stone also announced seniors discounts on the routes will be cut. "As of April 1, 2014, the current 100 per cent passenger fare discount received by B.C. seniors (65 and older) travelling Monday to Thursday will be reduced to 50 per cent on major and minor routes. "There will be no change to the current 33 per cent discount offered to seniors on the northern routes. The provincial savings of approximately $6 million per year will be redirected to support general fares." Officials confirmed that BC Ferries employees are still able to ride the ferries for free, but said they were not aware of how much that cost the ferry service annually. Slot machines to be tested Stone also announced BC Ferries may add slot machines to its main routes, starting with a pilot project on sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay. "The government of B.C. is also considering the introduction of a pilot project to assess the viability of gaming, and is seeking feedback on introducing gaming as a permanent revenue-generating program on major routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland." "The pilot project would be implemented on BC Ferries' busiest route between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen. If successful, gaming revenue would help reduce the pressure on fares with net revenues reinvested into the ferry system to support general fares," he said. Stone did not estimate how much revenue the government expected to make from the gaming proposal. BCLC will be responsible for running the slot machines, and BC Ferries employees will be trained for the day-to-day operation. Other changes Stone also said in the medium-term BC Ferries was considering changes to the reservation system to allow bookings on minor routes and discounts for early bookings, time-of-day pricing, a customer loyalty program.and adding passenger-only service to some routes. He also announced plans for a $200-million upgrade of the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, saying it could affect how the route between West Vancouver and Nanaimo is managed in the future. But there are no plans to close one of the two ferry main terminals in Nanaimo, he said. Stone said in the long-term, BC Ferries is also looking at converting the fleet to natural gas, using standardized vessels, no frills vessels and cable ferries to reduce operating costs. He said the government's goal is to limit fare increases to the rate of inflation in the long term. But he said he did not see the BC Ferries service as an extension of the provincial highway system, as it is often described by many advocates. Minor and northern routes affected Langdale - Horseshoe Bay Vesuvius Harbour - Crofton Earls Cove - Saltery Bay Horseshoe Bay - Bowen Island Tsawwassen - Southern Gulf Islands Port Hardy - Prince Rupert Skidegate - Prince Rupert Comox - Powell River Texada Island - Powell River Gabriola Island - Nanaimo Harbour Chemainus - Thetis - Penelakut Buckley Bay - Denman Island Hornby Island - Denman Island Quadra Island - Campbell River Skidegate - Alliford Bay Port Hardy - Mid Coast - Bella Coola (summer only)

[aGENT]

Meh...not sure what people expect. It's a costly service.

You don't want to pay more fares, you don't want to pay more taxes and you don't want to have a higher percentage of existing tax revenue go towards it (not that the provincial government has extra money anyway).

I say why stop at gambling.

[MANGO]

Meh...not sure what people expect. It's a costly service.

You don't want to pay more fares, you don't want to pay more taxes and you don't want to have a higher percentage of existing tax revenue go towards it (not that the provincial government has extra money anyway).

I say why stop at gambling.

agreed....drinking establishments/smoke :-) shops and legalized prostitution would generate more revenue as well.

When gambling can have projected profits....you know something is up and it is only gambling for the patrons.

[HTania]

Reducing service for minor routes is ok but reducing discount for senors is a bad move.

[aGENT]

agreed....drinking establishments/smoke :-) shops and legalized prostitution would generate more revenue as well.

When gambling can have projected profits....you know something is up and it is only gambling for the patrons.

Exactly. Mariners and prostitutes have practically gone through history hand and hand already...may as well use that to help pay for ferries.

[MANGO]

realistically, BC ferries is trying to do so much to make your trip with BC ferries enjoyable that they have forgotten what they are actually trying to do....get you to the other side. They need to strip these boats down to the car decks and everyone can stay in there cars for the trip. If they need some Timmies, they can get it before they get on the ferry. They should start now, making ferry/barges for the future and get away from all these comforts.

[Down by the River]

Haven't been to a Canucks game this year, so I'm not sure if they are still doing it, but the fact that BC Ferries would advertise during the game made no sense to me.

They are the only option available; they have no competition. It is not as if people are so unaware of such a service that BC Ferries needs to advertise that they exist. It just seems like such a waste of money advertising for a product that doesn't not need to be advertised.

[chrisbanks]

i cant wait until the island link ferries come this spring... ill never walk on the bcferries again.... i can walk on the bc ferries for 16$ trying to get to vancouver and land in horseshoe bay in 1 hour and 45 minutes and then still need to shell out for cab or bus and take another 30 minutes to get downtown.... or i can pay 30$ get on the new passenger ferry and be downtown in 65 minutes..... bcferries will be losing 70% of their walk on traffic...

[aGENT]

i cant wait until the island link ferries come this spring... ill never walk on the bcferries again.... i can walk on the bc ferries for 16$ trying to get to vancouver and land in horseshoe bay in 1 hour and 45 minutes and then still need to shell out for cab or bus and take another 30 minutes to get downtown.... or i can pay 30$ get on the new passenger ferry and be downtown in 65 minutes..... bcferries will be losing 70% of their walk on traffic...

[ronthecivil]

Apparently the subsidy per vehicle was like 2k on some of the routes. That's just crazy.

[ronthecivil]

Reducing service for minor routes is ok but reducing discount for senors is a bad move.

Get used to it. Does it really make sense in a society with an aging demographic to have an increasing number of people not paying taxes AND get a discount for the services they use?

I am certainly not counting on there being seniours discounts (heck, I don't even count on CPP existing) by the time I am a seniour.

[inane]

50% for seniors is fine.

They should start selling beer like every other place on earth.

[Joel Heyman]

agreed....drinking establishments/smoke :-) shops and legalized prostitution would generate more revenue as well.

When gambling can have projected profits....you know something is up and it is only gambling for the patrons.

I'd ride a Brothel Boat

[mcgillnuck]

50% for seniors is fine.

They should start selling beer like every other place on earth.

I have a friend who's pretty high up in BC Ferries, and he's told me there's no way it's ever going to happen. It would generate lots of revenue, but you know as soon as there's an accident getting cars off of the boat they're getting sued.

A brothel boat on the other hand....

[canuckspride]

That's great. All you need to do it start selling alcohol to people on a boat, who got on that boat with THEIR car.

Excellent idea. Of course then they can set up a police roadblock right after departing the ferry and bust everyone getting off for DUI's. Funnel that money back into the ferry system as well.

[ronthecivil]

That's great. All you need to do it start selling alcohol to people on a boat, who got on that boat with THEIR car.

Excellent idea. Of course then they can set up a police roadblock right after departing the ferry and bust everyone getting off for DUI's. Funnel that money back into the ferry system as well.

Sounds good to me. It would be awesome to be a walk on or passenger out on the deck in the summer and enjoying a nice cold one without having to be covert about it.

[amitriptyline]

I just read the other day that the BC Ferries president makes over half a million a year. By comparison, the head of Washington Ferries makes less than half of that, about 200,000 a year for doing the same position, without all the hefty bonuses and pensions. Typical greedy capitalist sleazeball corporate culture of BC - top executives and upper management of firms getting paid exorbitant salaries and bonuses and endless financial incentives just for doing their jobs. And the justification is always that they need such incentives to keep the best and the brightest in their firm. What a crock of BS.

[Offensive Threat]

I just read the other day that the BC Ferries president makes over half a million a year. By comparison, the head of Washington Ferries makes less than half of that, about 200,000 a year for doing the same position, without all the hefty bonuses and pensions. Typical greedy capitalist sleazeball corporate culture of BC - top executives and upper management of firms getting paid exorbitant salaries and bonuses and endless financial incentives just for doing their jobs. And the justification is always that they need such incentives to keep the best and the brightest in their firm. What a crock of BS.

Its not just the upper level executives getting overpaid at BC Ferries. All the way from top to bottom they are overpaid. The members of the Marine Workers Union (COPE 378) seem to think that an entry level deckhand should be making $80,000 a year. Add to that the bloated executive ranks where its hard to tell what a lot of them actually do besides manage each other and you end up with a huge amount wasted on wages.

[inane]

Its not just the upper level executives getting overpaid at BC Ferries. All the way from top to bottom they are overpaid. The members of the Marine Workers Union (COPE 378) seem to think that an entry level deckhand should be making $80,000 a year. Add to that the bloated executive ranks where its hard to tell what a lot of them actually do besides manage each other and you end up with a huge amount wasted on wages.

evidence?

[schlaBAM]

I have a friend who's pretty high up in BC Ferries, and he's told me there's no way it's ever going to happen. It would generate lots of revenue, but you know as soon as there's an accident getting cars off of the boat they're getting sued.

It's not that. I work for the ferries, and constantly get asked the question. Transport Canada has a law of how long the trip is regarding alcohol; however, if you take the Prince Rupert - Port Hardy boat, the route is long enough in nautical miles to be able to serve alcohol. None of the other routes BC Ferries operates on are long enough.

You won't be seeing alcohol on the boats anytime soon.