Quote:
Originally Posted by Plafuldog
BC Ferries only has a monopoly because no one else is willing to run a competing service. There's no law against it, like there is for competing transit services.
When BC Ferries was first "privatized" in the early Gordon Campbell days, they were required to contract out as many routes as possible to the private sector. No one was interested because they all lose money and there isn't a way to make them profitable.
The only profitable routes are from Nanaimo-Horseshoe Bay and Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen. But the amount of Capital that would be required to start that service would be prohibative.
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People are forgetting that the BlackBall line (Port Angeles) is competition for BC Ferries, and BC Ferries is cheaper. But only by a small amount. There is also the Washington State Ferries Anacortes to Sidney route (not year round) , and also the much more expensive Victoria Clipper (Passenger Ferry Only)
It just needs to be pointed out that until BC Ferries hits the same price as WSF and BB (Approximately $80USD) Plus the entire drive through the US, we can't say "BC Ferries is too expensive". Air Travel is still two to three times as expensive.