Victoria: The BC division of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today revealed that BC Ferries employees were given 62,000 free vehicle rides last year on the ferry system. BC Ferries reports that these were trips for personal travel, travel for which other riders would have to pay full fare. The information was obtained via a Freedom of Information request.

"If you're a paying customer waiting in a line-up at ferry terminals this long weekend, chances are you're also waiting with ferry employees who travel for free," said CTF-BC director Mark Milke. "On average, 170 employee vehicles board taxpayer-subsidized boats every day on personal time and free of charge."

To illustrate the free usage, the free rides given to employees with their vehicles would fill 132 Spirit-class ferries, or about four days worth of full sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen in the summertime.

"Private airlines give discounted and free trips to their employees," said Milke. "But those are private corporations so that's between shareholders and employees. In the case of BC Ferries, taxpayers paid $95 million in direct subsidies last year and swallowed $1 billion in debt two years ago. It is time for the free ride for employees to end."