|
|
Post by Balfour on Apr 20, 2005 20:15:36 GMT -8
Apparently the New Dumba$$ Party and the Greens are intent on Making BCF back into a crown corporation. I really think BCF is better run privately. What are your thoughts on this?
yes=private
no=public
|
|
Koastal Karl
Voyager 
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
|
Post by Koastal Karl on Apr 20, 2005 20:26:29 GMT -8
I agree with strong skier. The ferries should be kept the way it is now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mac Write on Apr 20, 2005 20:32:48 GMT -8
Surprisingly privatizing the ferries and really improved them. Terminals are being upgraded, new ferries are being built, docks are being replaced etc. That's the good side of it. The bad side is food prices are going through the roof since fare increases are limited to 4%/year. The buffet keeps going up $1/year When BCF was public in 2003, it cost $13.11 for lunch. Today after the price increase last month it's $16 for the same thing and will go up again in the fall. a slice of pizza at Swart Bay is $4 for this tiny crappy pizza geesh. So there is a good side and a bad side to the privatization of BCF.
|
|
Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
|
Post by Koastal Karl on Apr 20, 2005 20:45:08 GMT -8
yeah I have to agree with that. Since privatization they have been doing alot more improvements to terminals and ships. Do you think if it was still a crown corporation there would be all the upgrades?? You would think there would be to keep the ships running and updated.
|
|
|
|
Post by Balfour on Apr 20, 2005 20:47:15 GMT -8
All the bad things are really minor though. The terminal improvements and vessel construction are what is needed more, and BCF as a private company is being more productive than it would have if it were government run.
|
|
|
|
Post by Political Incorrectness on Apr 20, 2005 21:33:56 GMT -8
again   that is annoying!! If they're private they're private and they stay that way or tell them to go on strike. |
|
|
|
Post by NMcKay on Apr 21, 2005 6:32:20 GMT -8
i wish BCF could be claimed as private. but they are a private company, with the BC taxpayers as the only stockholder.
|
|
|
|
Post by cascade on Apr 21, 2005 6:48:52 GMT -8
They are currently in the stage between a full private and crown company. Transition stage.
Back in the beginning - they were never given a "brief" to be profitable - run it like a commerical buisness.
Where other BC crown corp - when they were setup in the 80's they did have a Brief - to be profitable - breakeven mode.
BA - was a crown corp in the UK - and only 15 years ago - it went private - sort of - as the government kept the "golden" share ie 51% of the company - until it had paid back all the money it borrowed from the government.
Love of Hate Thatcher - she did a few good things - for the tax payer
Karl is correct - there is a massive amount of capital investment required for the system - massive upgrades every where needed - so where do you start and why there and not some where else.
Has anyone noticed the new management team that Hahn has brough in since he came to power - it looks like they do have the background / experience to run things. Concerned by the number of Americans - why not more Canadians ?
|
|
|
|
Post by Balfour on Apr 21, 2005 6:52:17 GMT -8
Yeah, I wish he would get more canadians on his board of directors, but I think David Hahn is American, I think he's from Boston or something.
|
|
|
|
Post by cascade on Apr 21, 2005 7:05:50 GMT -8
So far I think - jury is still out - that David Hahn is doing an OK job.
Yes he is American - as they had to apply for a work permit for him - and he is from the East Coast - and has no experience at running a Ferry Buisness - but he does have the knowledge in working out a stragety on movement of passengers - which is what he did before. Transport - either by land, air or sea - it is all the same -movement of people - daily at speed and safety.
I would have prefer a Canadian - and wonder why no one came forward for the job? Do we not have the talent in Canada do run this type of buisness ?
|
|
|
|
Post by Curtis on Apr 21, 2005 7:31:11 GMT -8
Stay Privite it would cost too much to refit the ships again back to original standards (Expo) they almost have all the ships repainted they are better now in the ways of passenger service ships and terminals
|
|
|
|
Post by Ferryman on Apr 21, 2005 21:24:28 GMT -8
yeah I have to agree with that. Since privatization they have been doing alot more improvements to terminals and ships. Do you think if it was still a crown corporation there would be all the upgrades?? You would think there would be to keep the ships running and updated. I think they would of still done big improvements like they're doing now. I say that because they started Queen of Coquitlams refit in winter of 2002 and that was when BCF was still a crown corp, then she came back in summer of 2003 when the corporation went private. So I wonder what these mid life refits would of looked like if the dogwood and expo had stayed around. Probably the same and maybe a bit different type of dogwood carpet. |
|
|
|
Post by NMcKay on Apr 21, 2005 21:32:14 GMT -8
they probably would have changed anyway. they might have been looking for a new Logo in which to affix to the vessels
|
|
|
|
Post by Engineer on Apr 22, 2005 5:54:16 GMT -8
Apparently the New Dumba$$ Party and the Greens are intent on Making BCF back into a crown corporation. I really think BCF is better run privately. What are your thoughts on this?
Great Idea
Privatizing the ferries may look good now, but just wait, the coastal ferry act will fix all this.
Just like hydro, who do you think will be paying in the end, that’s right, the user
It will all get tacked on to the user cost in the end.
It will be great, nice new shiny terminals and pizza, wow , but wait seems there is a cut back in budgets for refit and maintenance to pay for it hmmmmmmmm.
Ships safety traded for shiny building and pizza……good choice…….
|
|
|
|
Post by NMcKay on Apr 22, 2005 6:12:54 GMT -8
i dont think we have to worry about them, i dont think that the voters want to have the NDP doing that. Im taking very Good looksw @ all three parties, because this is my very first election
|
|
|
|
Post by nolonger on Apr 22, 2005 6:50:21 GMT -8
I couldn't agree more Engineer. I'm grateful I won't be around when the s**t hits the fan in a few years. I'm told that the Alberni isn't even getting a true refit this fall as she's due for the mid life in 2006/2007. After all they have to pay for the new mall in Tsawwassen.
|
|
|
|
Post by cascade on Apr 22, 2005 7:11:06 GMT -8
In a way I agree with what Engineer is saying - but I would also have to add - that in todays buinsness market place - major corp companies go to the market to borrow funds for capital expensure - ie to finance long term asset growth.
When BCFS was a crown company they could not do that - but as a "private" company -they can go to the market and raise funds for asset / capital projects. The market for there part - don't give a d**n on the political party in power - BUT the management of the company - hence they needed to replace all the senior people - with buisness minded people to run it.
They have gone to the market and borrowed $450M - which is partly used to fund the three new vessels.
The Ferry buisness per say - is a very good - possitive cash generater - so they can repay back the loans. Problem for the Banks - is they have put up the Ferries and terminals as the collateral for the Bond. BCFTA have granted a 60 year license to BCF for the terminals - but it is made VERY clear that BCFTA own the terminals and land - and CAN grant a license to any other party to operate from the terminals.
The Coastal Ferry Act - also protects the general public from massive price / fare raises. So to run the buisness and repay the Banks - how are they going to do it? & how are they going to replace all the "old" vessels in the Fleet? Part of this is down to increase the usage / ridership by getting people to travel more - in turn to do that they need to increase the level of service they currently offer.
I for one don't think there will be any major problems in safety - with regards to the vessels & passengers and crew. With newer vessels coming on line - the safety issues start to drop away - due to the design of the vessels and todays standards.
Where I see a problem is in the aging workforce of BCFS and the ageing workforce in the Shipyards. I have not seen where or how they will deal with the ageing workforce - (BCFS) and the pension problem. The unions have done a great job of there members - but at what cost to the company - BCFS? This could be the "black hole".
|
|
Doug
Voyager
Lurking within...the car deck.
Posts: 2,213
|
Post by Doug on Apr 22, 2005 20:50:53 GMT -8
Considering how far BC Ferries has come as a private company, they shouldn't turn back now. Besides, the NDP and Green Parties must be pretty dumb, is it not very hard for even a gov't party to break a contract?
|
|
|
|
Post by NMcKay on Apr 22, 2005 21:56:21 GMT -8
isn;t it kind of hard for BCF to go public again? i mean it would take alot of work to get them back. but im sure the fast cats would be bought back if it did happen.
|
|
|
|
Post by Curtis on Apr 23, 2005 12:16:49 GMT -8
The Cats were gonna be sold anyway
|
|
|
|
Post by NMcKay on Apr 23, 2005 20:19:06 GMT -8
3 words : Supidest Move EVER!
|
|
|
|
Post by Political Incorrectness on Apr 23, 2005 21:08:04 GMT -8
NO DUH
|
|
|
|
Post by NMcKay on Apr 23, 2005 21:56:54 GMT -8
it was BS. and i was Yelling so hard.
|
|
|
|
Post by Curtis on Apr 24, 2005 9:26:33 GMT -8
They would of made a better move if they had gone with making two double ended S-Class. The Cats are the stupidest move we ever made
|
|
|
|
Post by NMcKay on Apr 24, 2005 9:28:20 GMT -8
the theory behind them was sound. but being typical BCF, there execution was sloppy. they needed to Build them over seas, and probably made them bigger. if we had ended up with 3 Incat Ferries, We would not be having this convo.
|
|
that is annoying!! If they're private they're private and they stay that way or tell them to go on strike.
