Capping or eliminating bridge tolls looks good in headlines but does it make sense as public policy?
That's the question many are asking in the wake of duelling announcements made by the BC Liberals and BC NDP last weekend. The former would cap Port Mann and Golden Ears bridge tolls at $500 per year while the latter would eliminate them.
A fairer system would be for all non-local road and bridge upgrades to be paid from provincial taxation, including gas taxes, with political parties laying out their priorities and people voting accordingly.
As well, TransLink has talked about mobility pricing, making all drivers pay for how much they drive, with the possibility that such a system could be in place to pay for roads and bridges by 2021.
Something has to be done to address fairness but simply eliminating tolls without a broader policy framework on infrastructure funding is wrong. There is a bigger picture to examine — and it includes traffic, public transportation and the environment — and the parties need to address it with more than expensive campaign promises.
