With the recent news of a hike in the Confederation Bridge fee, there will likely be a round of criticism
Islanders, like other Canadians, have come to expect price increases for practically all consumer goods as a simple fact of life. But when it comes to the latest increase in the cost of using the Confederation Bridge, it’s a fact of life living on an Island – and that’s something most other Canadians don’t have to contend with.
It’s also a pill that’s difficult for many Prince Edward Islanders to swallow.
Effective Jan. 1, toll rates for two-axle vehicles will rise to $44.25, an increase of a dollar. Additional axles will increase by 25 cents to $7.25. Pedestrians and cyclists will also pay 25 cents more in 2012 and motorcycles will pay an extra 50 cents.
This is apparently one of the highest single rate increases in the 14-year life of the bridge. When in it opened in 1997, the cost for a two-axle vehicle was $35.
Even before the bridge opened, there were critics who argued the case for allowing Islanders free passage to the mainland. Be it ferry or bridge, they asserted, it should be considered part of the Trans-Canada Highway, an essential connection that should be free to residents of an island province. That argument never really generated serious attention, but whenever the price for crossing the bridge has increased over the last 14 years, the case for giving Islanders a break has resurfaced. It probably will again with this latest significant price hike.
If it does, it’s understandable. This isn’t just a matter of a simple consumer complaint here. There are negative implications for the provincial economy when it costs more to move goods and services to and from the Island. And what about tourism, one of the province’s economic pillars? Islanders may grumble about the bridge fee increase, but other travellers simply may not come to the Island if they view the bridge fee as too pricey. Prince Edward Island may be a prime travel destination, but it has had to market aggressively to remain competitive in the tourism industry. This latest price increase makes that challenge that much harder.
This editorial first appeared in The Guardian.
Think again. The ferry is already 30% higher than the bridge. One solution for the Bridge is to equip commercial vehicles (frequent users) with transponders and charge them a reduced rate and bill the companies directly. That way, the cost of getting product to Islanders will not have to be subsidized by the shoppers. As far as for the family car,it's only a buck, suck it up.