More calls for federal government to address Confederation Bridge Toll

The premier of P.E.I. is asking the federal government for an update on the timeline to reduce the tolls for the Confederation Bridge.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is urgently calling on the federal government to fulfill its promise to reduce and ideally remove tolls on the Confederation Bridge.

The association represents over 900 small businesses in Prince Edward Island and throughout Atlantic Canada said Frédéric Gionet the Atlantic Director of the federation.

Gionet said 76 per cent of members agree eliminating the toll is the best option to alleviate the impact of transportation costs and level the playing field with the rest of Canada.

“I mean its years in the making and there’s a reason why both political parties really jumped on this one as an election campaign promise,” Gionet said.

“They’ve heard from P.E.I. They’ve heard from businesses. They’ve heard from the region. this is a no brainer.”

Gionet said there are some constitutional provisions because the bridge was based on the island coming into the confederation. He said a letter has been sent to Ministers in the federal government, local MPs and Premier Rob Lantz to “bring this election promise over the finish line.”

“The potato industry itself is estimated between five and seven million dollars in direct impact from the toll bridges and you could take every industry in PEI and probably come up with a very similar figure.”

Gionet said removing tolls will reduce transportation costs, encourage greater labour mobility, investment and tourism for the island.

“In the spirit of tariffs and Canada having some nation building projects and looking at how we can better trade, there’s no better time to do this.”

The association is asking for three things right now: urgency on a timeline, fairness for all vehicles and certainty that this change is here to say.

In a statement to CTV News, Transport Canada said in part that “the Confederation Bridge is essential for tourists, residents, and businesses, who need to have safe and reliable options to travel. That’s why we’re making the Confederation Bridge more affordable. We will ensure fair and equal treatment for P.E.I.’s bridge.”

No details were provided for a timeline or what “more affordable” might look like.

“We’re going to continue pushing,” said Gionet.

“CFIB never goes away when it comes to these things. We follow our members demands and they’ve been clear and they’re expecting some answers, so we’ll be asking the questions.”

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