Proceedings in the

Birch Room

The House in Committee,

Section C.

The committee met at 11:28 a.m.

[Sunita Dhir in the chair.]

Committee of Supply

Estimates: Ministry of

Transportation and Transit

(continued)

The Chair : Good morning, Members. I call Committee of Supply,

Section C, to order. We are meeting

today to continue the consideration of the budget estimates of the Ministry of Transportation

and Transit.

On Vote 45: ministry operations, $1,196,576,000 (continued) .

Harman Bhangu : It looks like we’re heading into the two-minute warning of estimates here for Transportation,

but the last whistle hasn’t gone, so let’s move on to the Highway 1 Burnaby interchange

timeline and delivery.

Turning to the Brunette interchange on Highway 1, this is a well-known bottleneck

in the corridor and a critical connection point for Coquitlam, New Westminster, goods

movement and access to Royal Columbian Hospital. This interchange has been under discussion

for many years. Public engagement began in early 2016, followed by a joint work group

between 2018 and 2019 to develop options.

Since then, additional design work and technical analysis have taken place, including

the development of a refined concept that was shared with local governments and regional

partners in 2023. However, that concept did not proceed to public engagement, and

agreement on the final approach has remained unresolved.

The question is not whether improvements are needed. That has been clear for years.

The question is why, after nearly a decade of planning and engagement, a preferred

option has still not been finalized and construction has not begun.

[11:30 a.m.]

My question. Can the minister explain what has prevented the selection of a preferred

option for the Brunette interchange after years of planning and engagement? Can the

minister provide a clear timeline for when the final design and construction plan

will be identified?

Hon. Mike Farnworth : I appreciate the question from the member.

I’m very familiar with the area, and what I can tell the member is that there was,

as he outlined, the public work done. There was also some public feedback, as well,

provided. Then when it came back to the province from both New Westminster and the

city of Coquitlam, there was not an agreement on what the best way forward is. We’re

still happy to continue engagement with both communities and TransLink as to what

is the best solution for the area.

Harman Bhangu : I want to talk a little bit about the taxi sector, as they’ve been really under the

gun the last few years here now.

Turning to the taxi sector, this is an industry that plays a critical role in communities

across British Columbia, including providing reliable, accessible transportation and

coverage in areas where other services may not operate.

Since the introduction of ride-hail services in 2019, the industry has been adapting

to a changing regulatory environment. At the same time, taxi operators have continued

to raise concerns about fairness, competition and the overall balance of the system.

Those concerns have been consistent. They include market-share impacts, differences

in regulatory treatment, insurance costs, hours of service and access to trip data.

A special committee reviewed these issues and provided recommendations, and the ministry

has indicated that it is reviewing those recommendations and engaging with industry.

The question is not whether these concerns are understood. It is what has actually

changed and whether the system is becoming more balanced for those who have been operating

in this sector for decades.

My question: can the minister outline what specific regulatory or policy changes have

been implemented to address the taxi industry and long-standing concerns about fairness,

competition since the special committee report? Can the minister confirm what timeline

the industry can expect for concrete changes on the key issues, such as hours of service,

insurance parity and overall regulatory balance?

Hon. Mike Farnworth : Again, I appreciate the question from the member. What he outlines, I think, are

the concerns of the industry. I have met with them now on a number of occasions.

We are busy doing the policy work on the recommendations in that review — consulting,

continuing to consult with the industry on what their key priorities are and how we

can address some of those issues of fairness. It includes understanding the impact

that ride-hail has had on the industry, not only in terms of the level of service

that they were providing before but also the impact in terms of growth that’s taking

place in the province.

Some of the issues we’re looking at are on the basis of how they see things provincewide.

Others are more regional in nature. But that work is ongoing, and I hope to have more

to say on that later this year.

Harman Bhangu : Thank you, Minister. Yes, that is a great concern, and I feel for the ride-share side

as well, because I take the Uber, and a lot of the drivers actually communicate. They

ask me: “How much are you paying for this ride?” I’ll tell them it’s $60 to get from

my place to the airport, and they’re telling me they’re getting paid less than $30

sometimes. It is a great deal of concern, and it’s something that we should be addressing

to bring back some parity in the service.

[11:35 a.m.]

I want to move on to Burnaby Mountain gondola.

Turning to the Burnaby Mountain gondola project, this is a proposed connection between

Production Way station and Simon Fraser University intended to improve access for

students, staff and surrounding community.

The project has been studied for several years. It has gone through public engagement,

route selection and has been identified as a preferred option based on efficiency

and cost. It has also received support from local governments and the university and

has been identified as a priority within the regional transportation network.

At the same time, the project has not yet moved into delivery. The province has not

committed funding. The question is not whether the project has been studied or supported;

it is whether it is actually moving forward and what level of commitment exists to

deliver it.

Can the minister clarify when the province will confirm its typical share of capital

funding for the SFU–Burnaby Mountain gondola? What specific conditions must be met

for this project to move from planning to construction?

Hon. Mike Farnworth : I appreciate the question from the member. I think it is a very exciting-looking option.

I’ve seen these kinds of initiatives in other jurisdictions.

Recently — well, this is Christmas — I was in Australia, in Queensland, and I did

the gondola they have there from Kuranda down to the coast. It’s 7½ kilometres. It’s

called SkyRail. It was pretty fantastic. It was also pretty interesting to find out

how it was constructed.

I’m aware that the city of Burnaby…. It’s got a lot of local support. But before the province would be able to do anything,

it has to be part of the investment plan, which is decided by TransLink and the Mayors

Council, as to one of their priorities that they want included in the investment plan.

At this point in time, it’s not been, but if they were to do that, then certainly

we would obviously take a very serious look at it.

Harman Bhangu : Yes, definitely having some family in Australia, they tell me about a lot of the cool

projects that they do to try and connect communities and figure out different ways,

because infrastructure costs can be consuming to upgrade all the services along the

way where you are trying to build.

I want to talk a little bit about the UBC extension.

Turning to the UBC extension, this is a long-discussed project to extend rapid transit

to one of the largest destinations in the region, connecting directly to UBC and significantly

expanding access to the Broadway corridor. This project has been included in long-term

regional transportation plans and has moved into formal planning, including work towards

the business case and concept design.

There has also been financial participation from partners. The federal government

has committed funding towards the business case, and both UBC and the city of Vancouver

have contributed as well. At the same time, progress on the project has been tied

to the broader fiscal conditions and ongoing planning work.

The question is not whether the project has identified as a priority; it is what the

current status is in when it will move forward.

My question: can the minister clarify the current status of provincial funding for

UBC extension business case, and what is the timeline the province is working toward

for the project to move beyond early-stage planning into defined delivery path?

[11:40 a.m.]

Hon. Mike Farnworth : I appreciate the question from the member.

We have matched the federal government’s $14 million in terms of the planning. We’ve

also added $5 million in this year’s budget for that work to continue.

The other thing that does also need to happen is that it needs to go into the investment

plan. TransLink, to date, has indicated they see it as in the second half, not in

the immediate. We will continue to work with them. We’ll continue to work with the federal government

to ensure that we get the appropriate level of funding that we need.

This is obviously an important project and would be a considerable addition to our

incredible SkyTrain system.

Harman Bhangu : I’ve been having a few meetings with a lot of the trucker groups, and a big concern

that’s coming out there is the amount of impaired driving issues that we’re having

with big rigs and big semi-trucks. And what a lot of them are saying is when we’re

going through the process of hiring, there are very limited ways that we can, unless

you do a full driver’s abstract, which only some companies do….

Most of them are wondering: is there going to be a situation for class 1 drivers where

it’d be easier….? Say, if there’s an infraction on that licence, there would be a marker or something

that would let employers know, because it is a growing trend. There have been situations

where someone has been caught in a truck at one point, and a couple months later they’re

driving for another operator.

What is the plan to target impaired drivers and add maybe a level of security for

other employers in the future who may need to hire drivers so that they can actually

figure out: was this driver impaired? What were the issues? Did he get treatment?

Is there any kind of mechanism for that?

Hon. Mike Farnworth : I appreciate the question from the member, and I think that’s a really good issue

to raise. What I can say at this point is that that rests with ICBC in terms of the

flags that they can put on a licence. I’m more than happy to raise that with my colleague

responsible for ICBC.

Harman Bhangu : I asked…. Now I want to talk about the 105 speed limiter. A lot of truckers — I’ve been talking to them, and I’ve been on the

roads myself, driven across the province. Clearly, not everyone’s using them. You

have out of province, out of state from America that come through — not everyone has

them. There are a lot of companies that do move goods and services to British Columbia

that are without them. This is something that a lot of them have said is….

Has the ministry measured the effectiveness of this policy? And if it has, will you

table that report? A lot of truckers tell me that when they’re going uphill sometimes,

what’s happening now is there’s a lot of strain on the truck, and they’re trying to

gain momentum in slippery or in snowy conditions in some way, because if you go at

it slow, you’re just going to get stuck, and you’re going to continue sliding. You

need to have a little bit of that momentum.

A lot of truckers are wondering: has there been a report, and will you table it?

Hon. Mike Farnworth : We are currently doing a review on that. There will be a report later this year, and

it will be made public.

Harman Bhangu : Thank you, Minister. I look forward to that.

Now I want to move on to a little bit of an issue. I was talking to a member over

in the Vernon area. There is Hillview Elementary School at 1822 Francis Street in

Vernon. Does the ministry have any plans to install lights on the MoTT light poles

in this area?

It’s been a really big concern. I’ve heard from a lot of folks in that area who have

written letters, emailed me, called me and said, “Hey, my kids travel down this road.

It gets dark early in the fall,” and now with the time change that’s happened, they

feel it could be at risk, and there have been accidents in the area.

I believe they went to local governments, talked to them. They have told them it’s

a ministry issue. Has there been any consultation or any kind of network to get some

light poles put in there?

[11:45 a.m.]

Hon. Mike Farnworth : I appreciate the question from the member. We’re not familiar with the exact location,

but what we’ll do is look into it and report back to you.

The Chair : I ask the minister to move the motion now.

Hon. Mike Farnworth : I move the committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again.

Motion approved.

The Chair : Thank you, Members. This committee stands adjourned.

The committee rose at 11:46 a.m.