A petition with thousands of signatures is calling on BC Ferries to give a special rate for people living on Vancouver Island.
The online petition created by “Islanders Unite” is demanding 50 per cent off of ticket prices for island residents who are “held prisoner on their own island.”
The motion says families have a hard time leaving for holidays or visiting family because of high ferry costs.
It had 7,055 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.
The current rate for people travelling from Victoria's Swartz Bay to Vancouver's Tsawwassen terminal is $17.20 one way and $56.45 for a standard vehicle up to 20 feet long.
In an email, BC Ferries told CTV News that 85 per cent of its customers are British Columbians and it would be “difficult to justify giving one segment a discount and not the other.”
“Tourism contributes greatly to the economy of Vancouver Island. If we offered island resident discounts, we would have to charge tourists more, which would penalize the tourism industry,” executive director of public affairs Deborah Marshall said.
Marshall added that the ferry company does offer customersother incentives.
“In the off season this past year when tourists are not generally travelling, we had 30 per cent off vehicle fares, 50 per cent off vehicle fares, and another 30 per cent off passenger fares,” she noted.
BC Ferries did not see an increase in ferry fares this spring and is working on a new customer programthat would reward frequent floaters.
“We are working on a frequent user program for our major routes as part of our fare flexibility digital enhancement program,” Marshall said. “This is a major IT project and is several years out.”
According to the petition site, the motion will be delivered to the BC Ferry Corporation.
