Free service as ‘goodwill’ gesture for ferry disruptions? Halifax council votes no

A motion for free ferry rides in Halifax was shot down in council on Tuesday.

Halifax Regional Council has struck down a Dartmouth councillor’s motion to waive ferry fees due to service reductions.

Coun. Sam Austin had argued that riders deserve a break after the Alderney ferry service took yet another hit last week.

Only days after the Vincent Coleman ferry returned following steering repairs – restoring 15-minute service – the Christopher Stannix was knocked out of rotation for a similar steering issue.

“I didn’t bring this [motion] on a whim,” Austin told councillors Tuesday. “We’re five months into 50 per cent of this service being unavailable.”

Austin wanted his fellow councillors to forgo a staff report and waive ferry fares on weekdays in June, at a cost of about $175,000.

“You do these things when you need to build some goodwill, when a gesture is required, and to me, this was a moment that called for that,” Austin told reporters.

The repair parts and an additional order are on their way, but there’s no sense of when they’ll be here.

“Our experience of getting them over the border has not been great,” said Brad Anguish, the city’s acting CAO.

“It may take time, so we can’t give a very good estimate,” he said. “In fact, we know better than to give an estimate at all at this point.”

He also pointed out that while someone boarding the ferry would ride free, anyone who starts their transit commute on a bus before ferrying wouldn’t.

The motion to halt the fees failed 11-3, with councillors Tony Mancini and Kathryn Morse supporting Austin’s request.

Councillors raised other concerns about setting a precedent and a lack of fairness when there are other transit problems.

“Having 15-minute service was a luxury,” said Coun. David Hendsbee. “In the past, we’ve always had a 30-minute service. So, I don’t know why we’re not saying the 30-minute service is still a good service.”

Mayor Andy Fillmore told reporters 15-minute service should be the standard during peak times.

A report review of ferry service is due back to council on June 23, which is when Fillmore said council will be armed with information to make decisions.

He said he intends to ask, “If a strategic investment in a sixth ferry is something we need to do.”

But he also noted the current ferry model might not be best for the future.

“There’s that question, where is our ferry service heading?”

Councillor, transit boss take accountability

“Responsibility, I think, needs to come with the senior folks at [Halifax] Transit, it needs to come with the 16 of us – and 17 with the mayor in this room – because it’s on our watch,” said Coun. Tony Mancini.

“First and foremost, it’s my responsibility,” said Halifax Transit’s executive director Robin Gerus. “I took the job on as executive director, and I get the positives and the negatives.”

While he is committed to restoring service as soon as possible, he called the recent delays “uncontrollable,” but maintained his management team has taken the issue “very serious.”

“I have been spending a lot of time at the ferry terminal talking to our customers,” he said. “A lot of them are understanding.”

“We have to make sure that we’re providing the product and delivering the product that we talk about and that we say we’re going to do.”

He said Halifax Transit will do its best to “make sure that we have the best plan in place to keep our parts coming in and making sure that we make the steps and recommendations based on the ferry service review.”

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