BC Ferries losing money

[Roadster]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... osses.html

DUH! You price yourself out of business, what do ya expect?

[mrj222]

I moved off the island because of the rates. for the 200.00 round trip i could get a whole lot more vacation for my $$.

[Tacklewasher]

We need to build a bridge.

[RR24K]

We need to build a bridge.

This is one of many threads on this issue. viewtopic.php?f=26&t=30897

[steven lloyd]

DUH! You price yourself out of business, what do ya expect?

I remember when Murray Pezim was owner of the BC Lions and decided to raise ticket prices saying "people will pay".
The Lions have never recovered their fan base.

[NAB]

The ferries situation is not just about fares as the NDP would like us to believe. People are now going south to shop and vacation IMO, or zipping their wallets and purses and staying close to home, not the other way around. High prices and taxes in BC, combined with a strong Canadian dollar and an aging population are all conspiring to drive BC tourism into continued decline.

Nab

[Bsuds]

I looked up what it would cost us to take the truck and 5th wheel to the Island. $200-250 one way!
No thanks, I'll skip that trip. I can drive a long way on $500 worth of Diesel.

[Urbane]

This is yet one more example of people demanding that government spend more money. The current annual subsidy for BC ferries, from the taxpayers, is $150 million. That's quite enough thank you. We're about to extinguish the HST, blowing a big hole in a budget that is already in a deficit, and our accumulated debt is about $48 billion, almost 25% of GDP. We cannot afford to give in to all of these requests for more and more spending. If you live on one of the islands or if you choose to visit one of the islands you can pay for the ferry ride. If you can't afford the ferry then don't take it.

[Roadster]

My parents live there and they have cut their summer trips from about the usual three to one so they pay more for that trip, but they pay less, hahahaha, Who couldnt figure that one out?

Sad part is I see them less, but what can you do? Those people are idiots not to have seen this coming.

[steven lloyd]

If you can't afford the ferry then don't take it.

It's a lot cheaper to fly and rent a car.

[Roadster]

[quote="Urbane"]This is yet one more example of people demanding that government spend more money. The current annual subsidy for BC ferries, from the taxpayers, is $150 million. That's quite enough thank you. We're about to extinguish the HST, blowing a big hole in a budget that is already in a deficit, and our accumulated debt is about $48 billion, almost 25% of GDP. We cannot afford to give in to all of these requests for more and more spending. If you live on one of the islands or if you choose to visit one of the islands you can pay for the ferry ride. If you can't afford the ferry then don't take it.[/quote]

Thats been answered already urbane,,, They are not taking the ferry see,,, Not like you needed to tell em now. Whats gonna happen now is the ferry is gonna lose to their own pricing habits. I did not start this thread so you could change the topic to being about gov spendings.

[Roadster]

It is just one of the triggers that is making my parents think about moving back to the mainland. I had choices to make a few years back when trying to figure out what to do next. There was a beautiful store in Naniamo that I woulda love to have with a house attached and on a great big lot. Kept looking at it and had a realtor check it out for me. My end decision then was not to do it because the ferry prices were high back then, Imagine how peezzed I'd be now.

[NAB]

I looked up what it would cost us to take the truck and 5th wheel to the Island. $200-250 one way!
No thanks, I'll skip that trip. I can drive a long way on $500 worth of Diesel.

And going the other way, it makes far more sense for Islanders to take the US ferry from Victoria over to Port Angeles in Washington State for a money saving holiday south of the border if they have run out of places to RV holiday on Vancouver Island.
My next move may be to stage my RV over on the mainland at a friend's place, and just walk on the ferry or fly over if I want to spend some extended time on that side or go east or south RV'ing.

Nab

[flamingfingers]

Guess Hahn was not such a 'genius' after all. But what does he care? He retires in 2 years, collects his over $1 million dollars a year paycheque while his other executives also have their feet in the trough for that much and more. AND he also collects gazillions more in health care bonuses, etc. Ah, but private partnerships are GOOD for BC, eh?

[Roadster]

I went on foot once and used my parents car, was way cheaper.