BC Ferries has announced that it will be implementing additional sailings to the current schedule in anticipation of traffic growth on major routes this summer.
In a press release issued Monday, the transportation authority said new schedules have been posted on the BC Ferries website with changes to the Tsawwassen (Vancouver) – Swartz Bay (Victoria), Tsawwassen (Vancouver) – Duke Point (Nanaimo), Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) – Departure Bay (Nanaimo) and the Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) – Langdale (Sunshine Coast) routes.
According to the BC Ferries, the new schedule will see 120 sailings more per week than during the first three weeks of June.
The ferry service company added that traffic is still down an average of 50 per cent across the major routes as BC Ferries continues to try and rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the month of April, customer ridership was down 80 per cent, according to the press release.
When the pandemic hit, BC Ferries restricted vessels to operating at 50 per cent capacity, reduced sailings, eliminated service between Nanaimo and Horshoebay, cancelled food services, and called for only essential travellers.
As the province navigates the BC COVID-19 Restart Plan, the BC Ferries has been restoring aspects of its service, however, the company believes it will be two to three years before traffic returns to pre-COVID levels.
BC Ferries feels that the additional sailings will provide “more than enough capacity to meet traffic demand,” suggesting that capacity demand will be exceeded by about 20 per cent on average. The organization is expecting popular times still might be full, however.
BC Ferries is still asking for customers to maintain physical distance when onboard, for vehicle passengers to remain in their vehicles for the duration of the sailings, and for all passengers to possess a face covering.
Anyone riding on a sailing that is longer than 30 minutes is now required to have a non-medical mask or they may not be allowed to travel. This is a directive from Transport Canada.
Graham Cox
