Interprotrovincial trips are now less expensive in Atlantic

Travelers in eastern Canada are delighted on Friday to reduce the toll of the Confederation bridge and the prices of interprorvincial travelers. However, free trips remains in the viewfinder of several residents of the Atlantic region.

Since midnight, the bridge toll between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island has been reduced to $ 20 round trip for all types of vehicles. The prices of the crossings of eastern Canada which are funded by the federal government also fell by 50 %.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced it on Monday during a press briefing on the Prince Edward Island. He thus filled an electoral promise.

Travelers have changed their route to take the Confederation bridge Friday after the entry into force of the reduction of the toll.

It’s $ 30 lessrejoices Corneliu Druceka tourist from Laval, in Quebec.

We have changed its route. It gives us $ 30 more to spend in restaurantssays Serge Benoît, a tourist from the Montreal region. We will spend it here with pleasure to encourage the Prince Edward Islandhe specifies.

At $ 50, we would have come anyway. But there, at $ 20, it’s perfect.

It is a plus for everyone who will take the bridge today and in the coming daysadds Mathis Boisvert, the son -in -law of Serge Benoît, also from the Montreal region.

Alexa MacAllistera resident of the Prince Edward Island who lives in North Tryonnot far from the Confederation bridge, also rejoices in the reduction of the toll of $ 50.25 to $ 20 round trip. I crossed this bridge several times. It’s really an advantage now [que le péage] has been reducedshe shares.

According to her, the reduction of the toll will promote tourism and allow residents of the island province to travel more easily on the continent.

Alexa MacAllister would still have wanted the Confederation bridge to be completely free for residents of Prince Edward Island. Because we live here, we have to pay each time we want to get out of the islandshe underlines. It was very unfair.

It is an expense that many families cannot afford.

Tourists, like Corneliu Drucekwill acquiesce.

It’s not much money for someone who [emprunte le pont] Once or two when he is on vacation. But for those who borrow it every day or every week, $ 30 each time, it’s a whole differencehe believes.

I understand themadds Serge Benoît, who does not imagine such a high toll on the Samuel-de-Champlain bridge, in Montreal, for example.

The Prime Minister of Prince Edward Island, Rob Lantzhas also promised to return to the charge to obtain the free 12.9 -kilometer curved bridge that links its province to the rest of the country.

An impact on the economy

About a million vehicles take the Confederation bridge every year, inaugurated in 1997. Interprotrovincial crossings in the east of the country – some of which are seasonal – transport an average of 2,500 people and 1,200 vehicles per day.

According to Mark Carneylowering the rights of passage interprorvincial in the Atlantic will cost around $ 100 million a year to the public treasury. However, he describes this measure as an investment. These savings will be reinjected into local businesses. This will stimulate new investments and strengthen linkshe said on Monday at Prince Edward Island.

Travelers who borrow the backgrounds of the Maritime and Air Transport Cooperative (CTMA), Bay Ferries Limited and Northumberland Ferries Limited now only pay half of the old prices. All supplements for ship fuel have also been eliminated.

The cost for passengers and walking vehicles has also decreased by 50 % on the Atlantic Marine Cross-à-les Between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. In addition, the federal state company, which carries 65 % of goods to destination and from Newfoundland, also freezes the commercial transport rates.

Positive for access to health care

The Canadian Cancer Society applauds this significant reduction in transport costs in Atlantic Canada. Very quickly, we will see positive impacts for peopleunderlined David Raynaud, senior manager in the organization’s defense team of the organization, in an interview on Thursday.

It means fewer financial charges for patients, and therefore one less obstacle between the patient and the treatment he needs.

According to estimates by the body, a cancer diagnosis costs an average $ 33,000 to a patient and his loved ones. Secondly – after the loss of employment income – reasons which explain this amount comes the financial burden of the trip and accommodation to be treated, says David Raynaud.

These costs are quickly added when a patient has to pay a toll like that of the Confederation Bridge several times a month, or even a week, recalls the Canadian Cancer Society. It creates financial barriersadds his spokesperson.

With information from Alix Villeneuve, Raphael Caron and the Presse Canadian