Professor John Robertson OBA

In the Times Colonist, on December 15th 2025:

To increase funding and ward off fare hikes “well in excess of 30%” in two years, B.C. Ferries proposes forming a “sustainable partnership” with all levels of government — federal, provincial, and local. Yet this partnership maintains the same governance model that enabled the Fast Ferries scandal in the 1990s and cost taxpayers $1 billion in avoidable expenses.

The B.C. Auditor General called for strong governance reform to prevent future vessel failures and wasted tax dollars. Three provincial governments, however, have ignored his unambiguous warning by keeping the same governance vacuum in which no one is held accountable for failures. The result: Declining service performance, a ballooning budget, and a history of deploying unreliable vessels. Now B.C. Ferries solicits an assured flow of funding to avoid catastrophic fare hikes—without any oversight.

https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comment-reform-the-way-bc-ferries-is-governed-11621467

While some might wish to suggest the above failures apply to CalMac, there is no reliable data t suggest it.

Service performance?

BC Ferries (British Columbia, Canada) reported an on-time performance of 84% for fiscal year 2024–2025 (April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025). This measures the percentage of sailings departing within 10 minutes of the scheduled time, an improvement from 83.2% the previous year, despite record traffic and challenges like aging infrastructure. https://www.bcferries.com/performance-and-sustainability-report-2025

CalMac (Caledonian MacBrayne, Scotland) reported overall punctuality of 95.4% for the 2024–2025 financial year (to March 2025). This measures arrivals within a grace period (5–15 minutes depending on route length). Reliability (operated sailings) was 92.7%, impacted by severe weather and fleet issues. https://www.calmac.co.uk/calmac-performance-data-browser

What might explain in large part, these differences? Government subsidy?

BC Ferries passengers are estimated to be subsidised on average by around £9 per journey while CalMac is subsided on average by £80 per journey.

Above is based on:

Sources for Government Funding per Journey Comparison (BC Ferries vs. CalMac)BC Ferries (Fiscal 2024–2025)

• Annual passengers: Record 22.7 million passengers carried.
  • Primary source: BC Ferries Performance and Sustainability Report 2024–2025.
  • Link: https://www.bcferries.com/performance-and-sustainability-report-2025 (direct report PDF referenced in multiple sources).
• Government funding:
  • Base provincial ferry transportation/service fee: Approximately $194–200 million annually.
  • Additional one-time provincial funding: $500 million spread over Performance Term 6 (2024–2028), equating to ~$125 million per year.
  • Federal subsidy: ~$37 million (2024/2025 fiscal year).
  • Total estimated annual government contribution: ~$362 million (base + additional provincial + federal).
  • Key sources:
    • BC Government news release (November 2025): Confirms base service fee ~$194 million + $500 million additional over four years.
      • Link: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023MOTI0154-001530
    • Daily Hive article (July 2025): Details federal subsidy of $36.92 million for 2024/2025.
      • Link: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/premier-david-eby-bc-ferries-canada-equalization-payments
    • Vancouver Sun and other reports (2023–2025): Consistent on ~$200 million base annual subsidy.
• Per passenger calculation: Derived from total funding divided by passengers (~$16 CAD).

CalMac (Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services, CHFS3 Contract)

• Annual passengers: Approximately 5 million (consistent across recent years; exact 2024–2025 figures not explicitly stated in reports, but aligned with prior data and no major deviations noted).
  • Inferred from multiple reports citing ~5 million annually for the network.
• Government funding:
  • New 10-year CHFS3 contract (started October 2025): Total value £3.7–4 billion, with average annual subsidy £400 million (more than triple the previous ~£120–150 million annual).
  • Passengers cover ~25% of costs via fares; taxpayer funds the majority.
  • Key sources:
    • Herald Scotland (November 2025): “Annual public subsidy will soar to an average of £400m” under £4 billion deal.
      • Link: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25606000.calmac-fined-20m-getting-4bn-ferry-deal-scottish-govern/
    • UK Government Subsidy Advice Unit (2024): Estimated total subsidy £3.7 billion over 10 years.
      • Link: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/referral-of-the-proposed-subsidy-to-calmac-ferries-limited-by-transport-scotland
    • Multiple outlets (The National, Scotsman, Business Insider; 2025): Confirm £3.9–4 billion total, ~£400 million annual average.
• Per passenger calculation: Derived from annual subsidy divided by passengers (~£80).

These figures are estimates based on the latest available official reports, government announcements, and media citing contractual details. Per-journey amounts are approximate and can vary with exact passenger counts, performance deductions, or additional costs. The significant difference reflects CalMac’s fully subsidised lifeline model versus BC Ferries’ more fare-reliant commercial approach.