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Port protests ferry fares

The village of Port Clements is writing to BC Ferries to protest fares, which have been rising steadily over the past few years. In fact, passengers travelling on the Kwuna between Graham and Moresby Islands here will be paying 116 percent more in 2011 than they did in 2003, according to figures from the Ferry Advisory Committee Chairs.While the hike on the Kwuna route is high, it's not the biggest increase in the system. Denman Island routes are going up by 121 percent, and Quadra Island by 117 percent.Port council members have other concerns about fares, which they discussed at Monday night's meeting (Nov. 5). Councillor Wally Cheer said residents of islands should pay a lower fare than visitors, while mayor Cory Delves wanted to know why BC Ferries is hiking fares on the smaller and northern routes at a higher rate than the big southern routes. The ferry is just as important to people living here as it is to people on Vancouver Island, he said.Mr. Delves said he also wondered why BC Ferries charges a little "Smart" car just as much as a regular pick-up truck for a spot on the ferry, when the truck takes up twice the amount of space. There should be a special rate for the new generation of compact, fuel-efficient cars, he suggested.