CTV News has learned the crown agency that operates the Port Mann Bridge will be dangling some incentives for Metro Vancouver drivers in a bid to increase traffic.
But those expecting a cheaper toll are out of luck. The TI Corp said it won’t lower the fee for crossing, but may introduce a driver loyalty program this spring.
“We are looking at a driver incentive program to encourage usage. There are a number of options we’re looking at. At this point providing a reduced toll rate is not one of the items we’re considering,” said TI Corp’s vice-president of tolling, Max Logan.
Logan said the incentive program may reward drivers who cross the bridge frequently, but details are still being ironed out.
The TI Corp says it has been studying how other toll bridges boost business, after numbers released last week showed a decline in overall traffic on the new bridge in 2014.
In 2006, the average number of users was about 127,000 a day and last year, the average was about 20 per cent lower, with many drivers instead using the untolled Pattullo Bridge to avoid the Port Mann toll.
Total debt for the bridge, which was opened in December 2012, has reached $3.6-billion, while its deficit has climbed past $303-million.
Regular tolling was introduced on the Port Mann at the beginning of 2014. A trip across the bridge carries a $3 charge for small vehicles.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Mi-Jung Lee
