Ferries review planned

The province plans to launch a “soup to nuts” review of B.C. Ferries next month that will examine all aspects of the service — except whether it should be brought back inside government.

Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said in an interview that the review will scrutinize everything from B.C. Ferries’ business practices to its policies, procedures and spending decisions.

“What we want to do is look at the way B.C. Ferries operates to make sure it is operating for the best interests of people who live and work on the coast,” she said.

“I’m calling it the ‘soup to nuts review’ and I really do hope that it is going to be extensive and does answer a lot of questions that people have about what has been happening at B.C. Ferries in these last number of years.” The one thing the study will not do, however, is consider whether B.C. Ferries should return to its former status as a Crown corporation or get wrapped into the Transportation Ministry.

Trevena said the NDP promised during the last election campaign to review B.C. Ferries, but made no commitment to change its governance structure — something the party had done in previous campaigns.

The former Liberal government transformed B.C. Ferries in 2003 from a Crown corporation to a quasi-private company that receives an annual subsidy from the province. The company operates the service, while an independent B.C. Ferries Commissioner regulates fares by setting a price cap on the average level of fares.

In 2015, more than 20,000 people signed a petition urging the province to make B.C. Ferries part of the Transportation Ministry as a way to cut costs and reduce fares.