Carney promises to cut Confederation Bridge and ferry tolls by half
CBC
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has pledged to cut Confederation Bridge tolls by more than half and reduce the cost of Northumberland Ferries fares by at least 50 per cent.
Carney made the announcement during a campaign stop Monday in Charlottetown, speaking at a news conference at the University of Prince Edward Island's medical school.
"I just want to underscore what we're doing — reducing the toll on the Confederation Bridge to $20, cutting the cost on the ferries, and maintaining the ferries, to be absolutely clear," Carney said at the event.
The P.E.I. government has argued for some time that charging Island citizens and businesses to cross to the mainland by bridge or car-passenger ferry is unfair, especially since the Confederation Bridge that joins P.E.I. and New Brunswick is considered a continuation of the Trans-Canada Highway.
The seasonal car-passenger ferries operated by Northumberland Ferries connect eastern P.E.I. with the northern part of mainland Nova Scotia.
At the moment, the round-trip toll for a standard two-axle vehicle to cross the Confederation Bridge is $50.25. For the ferry service, the round-trip fare is $86 for passenger vehicles up to six metres long and two metres high.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who visited P.E.I. earlier this month, has committed to eliminating tolls on the bridge entirely. In addition, Poilievre pledged to conduct a review of the federal government's support for Northumberland Ferries.
The Northumberland Strait ferry service has been struggling since MV Holiday Island was scrapped after a fire in the summer of 2022, leaving only MV Confederation on the run.
That ship and MV Saaremaa, leased from the Quebec ferry service for parts of three seasons, then faced their own share of problems.
The Confederation was out of service for four weeks last year after it ran into the wharf at Wood Islands, P.E.I., and the Saaremaa was knocked out of commission by engine troubles.
Earlier this year, CBC News reported that then transport minister Anita Anand would order an audit of Northumberland Ferries Limited due to what Anand called "unacceptable" frequent service interruptions during the 2024 sailing season.
When a reporter asked Carney whether he would commit to annual Transport Canada inspections of the vessels that are operated by Northumberland Ferries but owned by Transport Canada, the Liberal leader said the idea seemed "sensible."
"I will commit to looking into that and providing a direct answer on it. I think certainly the safety of passengers is paramount. … We want to make sure that maintenance is done properly," he said.
Carney's plan extends beyond P.E.I., according to a news release issued after Monday's event.
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