Premier Gordon Campbell received two standing ovations when he announced a $3-billion highway and bridge mega-project to delegates at the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s convention on Jan. 3.
Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon has said some or all parts of the project, known as the Gateway, could be built as P3s. However, a poll released by the chamber shows that many business people do not understand how P3s work.
Although 77 per cent of those polled said they endorsed P3s as a way to build new infrastructure, only 32 per cent said they understood the private sector’s role in such projects. Another 28 per cent said they “weren’t sure” what that role would be.
Public consultations, expected to last 18 months, began Feb. 18 in municipalities affected by the Gateway project.
(With files from The Vancouver Sun)