To the Editor,
Re: Port authority passenger fees set to increase in autumn, Aug. 3.
All the reasons the port authority is using to charge us even more for taking the ferry or a seaplane do not hold water.
A Marine Domain Awareness System, in layman’s terms, simply means keeping a watchful eye for trouble. When maximum leverage tactics are needed; the safety and security card always seems to be played by government or agency.
Stating the extra 10-cents per ticket fee is needed for round-the-clock response of two patrol boats makes me also wonder, don’t they have cellphones or pagers now? Hasn’t the harbour been protected 24/7 up to now?
Maybe if the port authority did not spend that big $24 million on a cruise ship terminal and cozy office space, which is attracting only three boats this year, passengers would not have to be charged 25 cents by the port authority every time we just need to venture off our Island.
Kevan ShawNanaimo