Tuesday's ferry advisory committee meeting wasn't smooth sailing for B.C. Ferries officials as they sat in the hot seat at Gibsons Municipal Hall. On hand to discuss the proposed fuel surcharge increase, the upgrades to the Langdale terminal and other ferry committee questions were B.C. Ferries president and CEO David Hahn and executive vice president Rob Clarke.
Members from the ferry advisory committee also attended to discuss issues pressing the communities of the Sunshine Coast, and more specifically, issues with route three, Horseshoe Bay/Langdale.
"The biggest problem we're facing is that the B.C. Ferries organization appears to have an antagonistic attitude towards our city. We are being discriminated against. We have the highest fees and the lowest discounts. We are being charged with all kinds of overhead and developmental fees," said advisory committee member Jakob Knaus. Knaus wasn't the only person to raise concerns about the possibility of an increase in fuel surcharges. Other concerns were how B.C. Ferries and the B.C. Ferry Com-mission were going to determine the amount of tax added on to the ticket cost. "The commissioner calls the price. It's not just the cost of crude oil; it also depends on the U.S./Canada exchange policies. Basically the commissioner is going to say this is the cost of the fuel and how much it is going to take to run the route," Clarke said.
The purpose of the meeting was to keep Sunshine Coast ferry riders and their communities informed of what will be happening in the coming months and to collect information on how the high price of ferry travel is affecting the surrounding communities.
"I came today to get a better understanding of B.C. Ferries and what is going on and how they see things," said committee member Pat Barber, who is a regular commuter from Gibsons. "I wanted to raise awareness about the local bike commuters that cannot buy monthly passes for their bikes, when both foot passengers and vehicle traffic can. Along with that issue are the discrepancies for vehicle traffic, based on the size of the cars."
Currently vehicles are all charged the same amount, regardless of the length of the cars, with the exception of commercial vehicles.
"It's a good point being raised. We get calls about charging smart cars the same as larger SUVs, but currently we are looking into ways to resolve the discrepancies," Hahn said.
"Commercial vehicles currently have a length sticker on their vehicles, and we are looking into that possibility with non-commercial vehicles. However, measuring the length of every vehicle that comes into the terminal would create too much congestion, so we have to find a better way."
The restoration of both the Langdale terminal and the Horseshoe Bay terminal were also discussed.
"Every time I drive through the Langdale terminal, I just throw my hands up. It needs to be revamped, but we need to look into the construction costs and evaluate what we can do to improve it," Hahn explained. "It's a very complex situation. Route number two has three times as many people, so there isn't one way that works for everyone. It's a one-time lump sum of $15 million for the seismic upgrades and expansion. We are trying to smooth it out and make it less painful for everyone, but it's a very complex situation for a multiple-use terminal to please everyone. You can't pick and choose which projects you want to be a part of."
Clarke said the infrastructure at Horseshoe Bay is falling down, and B.C. Ferries is in the process of completing a $30 million upgrade to enlarge the vehicle compound.
"As far as the Horseshoe Bay terminal expansion costs, Langdale ferry traffic takes up 38 per cent of the traffic coming into the terminal, so that's why Langdale is responsible for 38 per cent of the bill," Clarke added. "The size and complexity of the terminal and the situation of the vehicle compound makes this project a particularly difficult one."
While there were some initial concerns over the lack of public notice for the meeting, some members of the surrounding communities were able to be at the meeting and have their questions answered by Hahn.
"We now have a broader understanding, and the public understands what the next term will hold," said ferry advisory board chair Ed Steeves. "We got some good answers on fuel charges."
