BC FERRIES OFFERS TRUCKERS BLENDED RATE

LANGLEY, B.C. — The British Columbia Trucking Association (BCTA) has negotiated a year-round flat fee for commercial trucks using ferries to Vancouver Island.

The fee blends B.C. Ferries’ high- and low-traffic period charges for passage on its boats.

In its negotiations, the BCTA argued that buses and heavy trucks use the ferry service regardless of traffic flows. The ferry links Vancouver Island to the B.C. mainland. B.C. Ferries charges the different rates to promote users to book passage when volumes are otherwise low.

“For the past 10 years, we have been trying to convince B.C. Ferries that high rates in the summer and on weekends don’t affect the movement of trucks, and they listened,” says BCTA president and chief executive officer Paul Landry.