TransLink suffers huge credibility gap with small businesses: 91% don’t trust it to spend new revenue wisely

THE Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) on Monday released a second batch of results from a survey of business owners in the Metro Vancouver about the proposal by the Mayor’s Council to add a half point to the PST in the region to fund additional transportation spending by TransLink.

Business owners were asked: Overall, what is your impression of TransLink?

* Eighty-four per cent said they have an unfavorable impression, including 30 per cent who said not very favourable, and 54 per cent who said not at all favourable.

* Only 14 per cent said it was favourable, including 13 per cent who said somewhat favourable, and one per cent who said very favourable.

* Two per cent said don’t know.

“The broken trust goes all the way back to the parking tax fiasco in 2006.  TransLink has done little to win back the confidence of business owners since then, and now they are paying a heavy price. Most small business owners simply don’t have a good overall impression of TransLink”, says Richard Truscott, CFIB Vice President for BC and Alberta.

Entrepreneurs were also asked: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement regarding the introduction of a new Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax? I trust TransLink to spend the new tax revenue wisely.

* Ninety-one per cent disagreed, including 10 per cent who somewhat disagreed, and 81 per cent who strongly disagreed.

* Only 8 per cent agreed, of which 7 per cent somewhat agreed, and 1 percent strongly agreed.

* One per cent said don’t know.

“It’s not at all surprising that many entrepreneurs have a tough time trusting TransLink. Clearly, they have a major credibility issue. The yes side says this isn’t a vote about TransLink.  But how can it not be?  We’re talking about giving TransLink billions more in taxpayers’ money. Yet their track record is littered with waste and mismanagement”, says Truscott.

The CFIB web-based, controlled access survey was conducted between February 10 and 18 and had 319 respondents, representing a margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 percent 19 times out of 20.  CFIB says it will continue to survey its members on these important issues until the voting period ends.