The federal government is looking to change the way ferry service in Eastern Canada is operated.
They announced Friday that a request for proposals will go out to private sector companies for three routes, including Digby to Saint John.
Government is looking for long-term commitments from these companies to run the ferries.
Mark MacDonald, CEO of Bay Ferries, which runs the Digby-Saint John route says the news is positive.
He says the federal government is trying to break the cycle of short-term contracts.
“Those contracts are entered into shortly before the operating season of the ships. This is not good long-term maintenance planning, it’s hard on personnel and on a number of different levels.”
The government says any new ferries that enter service would have to be at minimum 10 years old.
The MV Fundy Rose was built in 2000, but just began its run between Digby and Saint John in 2015.
MacDonald says passenger traffic on the route is up 30 per cent over the last two years.
On Friday, Transport Canada announced they will issue a request for proposals that could potentially see a 20 year commitment from a private-sector company to operate that route and two others: Wood Islands, P.E.I. to Caribou, N.S. and Souris, P.E.I. to Îles de la Madeleine, Quebec.
