Ferry review in 2018

[alanjh595]

Here we go again, another study group by the NDP. They sure are spending a lot of money on studies. You would think that the NDP would have done all of their homework before stepping up to the plate.

The NDP government plans to launch a review of B.C.'s ferry service in the new year.

The review will start in January 2018 with a comprehensive review of the coastal ferry service in British Columbia to evaluate its performance in meeting the needs of ferry users and British Columbia’s coastal communities.

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/214093 ... ew-in-2018

[Urban Cowboy]

Of course, we're saddled with the NDP reincarnation of the 90's, and there's no grounds to expect them to behave any differently.

[Cactusflower]

Of course, we're saddled with the NDP reincarnation of the 90's, and there's no grounds to expect them to behave any differently.

Yeah, they should do the same thing the BC Liberals did for 16 years...........raise rates and cut services.

[alanjh595]

Depending on the results of the study group and after spending $250,000, they, the NDP, might do the very same thing.

[Urban Cowboy]

Of course, we're saddled with the NDP reincarnation of the 90's, and there's no grounds to expect them to behave any differently.

Yeah, they should do the same thing the BC Liberals did for 16 years...........raise rates and cut services.

Rather than the typical useless snide remark, your time might be better spent, contemplating how many millions Horgan is throwing away on studies, and how those monies might have been far better directed to more useful endeavors.

In fact the NDP were notorious for raising our costs, and our disposable income figures from those years attest to this.

What the Liberals did a fairly good job of for 16yrs was operating a province within its financial means, a concept that is completely foreign to the NDP deficit budget kings.

What the Liberals didn't do, was spend gobs of money building ferries that weren't suited for our waters.

[seewood]

What the Liberals didn't do, was spend gobs of money building ferries that weren't suited for our waters.

They did spend money for ferries suitable for our waters. Yes they were built overseas. For a very good reason me believes.
Some are still jumping up and down that they were not built here, but BC does not have the capacity to build ferries of that size in a cost effective manner. If BC were to ramp up and build them here, millions would have to be spent to generate infrastructure to build here before the first plate was laid.
Ok, spend millions to ramp up, then millions more to build them then what? The shipyard , to remain relevant, has to keep building ships. That means orders. Sorry, but difficult to compete with shipyards in France, Italy, Poland, Germany, Korea, Japan...shall I go on...

However, I suspect this logic will be lost on the NDG and ferries required to replace the time X ships still in the fleet, will be built here at double the cost to keep the union ship builders happy I suspect. They will have conveniently forgotten the Fast Ferry debacle.

[alanjh595]

Maybe this new NDP consortium will bring back the "Fast Cat" ferries.

[Jflem1983]

I say get rid of the ferry service all together. Make it private. Let people on the island pay to get back and forth. Its not my problem. I dont want to subsidize the hippies in victoria

[alanjh595]

I say get rid of the ferry service all together. Make it private. Let people on the island pay to get back and forth. Its not my problem. I dont want to subsidize the hippies in victoria

All the Hippies/left-over bead droppers from the sixties, have been priced off of Vancouver Island , and have moved onto Gabriola, Saturna, Bowen, and Denman, some have done well and and can afford Saltspring.

[Cactusflower]

Rather than the typical useless snide remark, your time might be better spent, contemplating how many millions Horgan is throwing away on studies, and how those monies might have been far better directed to more useful endeavors.

In fact the NDP were notorious for raising our costs, and our disposable income figures from those years attest to this.

What the Liberals did a fairly good job of for 16yrs was operating a province within its financial means, a concept that it completely foreign to the NDP deficit budget kings.

What the Liberals didn't do, was spend gobs of money building ferries that weren't suited for our waters.

No, all they did was spend gobs of money on German-made ferries that, when they're not moored at a dock somewhere waiting for parts and labour to arrive from Germany, they're moored for economical reasons. They're too expensive to operate on a regular basis. I expect those Polish tubs to be similarly uneconomical. But hey, managing B.C.'s finances was never the BC Liberal strong suit, was it? That's why they had to basically bankrupt BC Hydro and ICBC, causing our rates to increase to unacceptable levels.

[hobbyguy]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/coastal-ferry-review-a-complete-waste-of-time-and-money-says-vancouver-island-regional-director-1.4450191

Coastal ferry review a 'complete waste of time and money,' says Vancouver Island regional director

"B.C. will launch a comprehensive review of its coastal ferry service in January 2018 to evaluate its performance in meeting the needs of ferry users and coastal communities, the province said Friday in a statement.

It also revealed the review will not look at bringing BC Ferries back into government.

Strathcona Regional District.director Jim Abram believes that's a mistake.

"I think what we're doing is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic," said Abram who is a former president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities and a longtime advocate for B.C. ferry users.

He says a lot of the problems people are having with BC Ferries might not exist if it were to be put back into a ministry.

"All of these things like parking, like fares, like WI-FI; these are all little bits and pieces of a poorly managed company, but if it was a government department, none of these things would be a problem," Abram told BC Almanac host Gloria Macarenko."

Let me see now. The ferry system used to be a private company (Blackball Ferries, and CP and maybe a couple of others). The whining and complaining was so bad that Mr. "Free Enterprise" WAC Bennett took them over and the ferries became a government entity. The whining and complaining never stopped. It was reorganized to run as a private entity with the government of BC as sole shareholder. The whining and complaining never stopped.

Will the whining and complaining ever stop? Methinks not. Seems to be a result of too much rain on Vancouver Island.

I notice that Claire Trevena has kept ferry fares out of the review. Hmmm. Yup, the NDP are going to barge ahead with the ferry fare freeze on major routes and a 15% reduction on minor routes. Is that a coincidence? Claire Trevena lives on Quadra Island, serviced by a minor route...

What good is a review that doesn't look at costs/revenues (fares)???? It is just a dog and pony show that is going to waste $250,000 that be paid, no doubt, to a crony of the NDP.

More importantly, what has the direction of BC Ferries been since it was quasi privatized?

- worker safety has improved
- passenger safety has improved
- financial responsibility has improved to a very slight profit
- passenger trips are down
- service is starting to be rationalized (which sets off howls of rage)
- the fleet is becoming much more environmentally friendly

What then is the problem? People looking for a "free lunch".

[alanjh595]

UUuuummm, excuse me? Where is the link to these suppositions?

Re: Ferry review in 2018
Post by Cactusflower » 5 minutes ago

all they did was spend gobs of money on German-made ferries

when they're not moored at a dock somewhere waiting for parts and labour to arrive from Germany, they're moored for economical reasons.

That's why they had to basically bankrupt BC Hydro and ICBC, causing our rates to increase to unacceptable levels.

[hobbyguy]

^^ just research the TYEE talking points memo they printed on orange tinfoil hats.

[maryjane48]

Lol ndp should do what clark did .raise rates and cut service make senoirs pay more

[alanjh595]

AND they, (the NDP) probably will. Right after they get the $250,000 report that they pay for with taxpayer's $$$$$$$. Of course they could have saved the $1/4 Million and just subsidised the ferries that amount and claimed a victory.
Who is going to pay for the $250,000 study group to tell them that?