Transportation Minister Todd Stone quickly ruled out a demand Wednesday from municipal politicians to unwind recent BC Ferries fare hikes and service cuts.
Speaking outside the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, after delegates unanimously endorsed the resolution, Stone said affordability is the number one issue and fares cannot continue to rise at four per cent or more a year.
But he said he won't overrule the independent ferry commissioner and force a reduction in fares.
"That's not going to happen," Stone said, adding he also firmly rejected a call from coastal communities to raise taxes to increase ferry subsidies.
Instead, he said, fare restraint must come from innovation and efficiencies that will deliver savings that can be reinvested in the ferry system.
Stone wants local support for potentially controversial service changes to cut costs B次元官网网址� including a bridge to Gabriola Island and a cable ferry planned to Denman Island that would save $2 million a year.
"Leaders in coastal communities are going to have to work with us and embrace a number of other ideas, which could include alternative technologies, fixed links, alternative fuels, passenger-only ferries in complement to vehicle ferries B次元官网网址� a wide range of ideas we've thrown out there."
The province has also announced plans to retrofit two Spirit-class ferries to run on liquefied natural gas and save an estimated $9 million a year on fuel.
Stone met coastal community representatives Wednesday afternoon on the ferry issues and promised a follow-up meeting in November to discuss avenues for savings B次元官网网址� both the ones already announced and others he said are "coming in the months ahead."
Local politicians intend to keep pressing the province to study the economic impact of rapidly rising ferry fares, after releasing a pointing to significant losses to the province.
Stone previously criticized the UBCM study as "irresponsible" and "unsubstantiated."
