With the Victoria Day long weekend underway, BC Ferries says it has seen an uptick in traffic on sailings between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
BC Ferries reported multiple sailing waits on the Tsawwassen to Duke Point route on Friday, while sailings from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay were mostly above 80 per cent vehicle capacity that day, with the 9 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay being nearly full at 95 per cent vehicle capacity.
On Saturday, BC Ferries reported that the majority of sailings on the Tsawwassen-Duke Point and Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay routes were above 70 per cent vehicle capacity.
Throughout the day Sunday, BC Ferries reported vehicle capacity numbers ranging between 70 and 89 per cent for sailings on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route while sailings on the Tsawwassen-Duke Point route saw vehicle capacity exceeding 90 per cent.
BC Ferries has urged customers to avoid non-essential travel, particularly throughout the Victoria Day long weekend.
Astrid Chang, corporate communications manager with BC Ferries, said although there has been an increase, because of recent federal regulations, ships are only allowed to carry up to 50 per cent of their maximum passenger load.
“We did see a little bit of an increase into the long weekend. However, we continue to operate at a reduced schedule with 50 per cent passenger capacity,” she said, adding. “So far this weekend, we have had no sailing waits on almost all of our routes.”
The coronavirus pandemic has hit BC Ferries particularly hard. The corporation’s chief executive officer, Mark Collins, has said BC Ferries is losing around $1 million per day and bleeding revenue because ridership has dropped by 80 per cent.
Chang said one reason for higher capacity numbers, at least on the Duke Point route, is because BC Ferries is not operating any sailings on the Departure Bay-Horseshoe Bay route at the moment.
“We have Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay route temporarily suspended still. So all traffic that needs to go from the Lower Mainland to mid-Vancouver Island, is all going through Duke Point,” she said.
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Chang also said a normal May long weekend would see far more ships between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen than what BC Ferries is currently operating.
“Normally, on a long weekend like the May long weekend, between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen we would have four ships and right now we have two,” she said. “Our capacity is reduced but we are seeing that we have had no sailing waits on almost all of our routes.”
BC Ferries has implemented additional safety measures, such as enhanced cleaning, and is following physical distancing guidelines, according to Chang. She said food, retail outlets and even vending machines have also been closed or shut down at all terminals and onboard all vessels.
“We do understand that there will be some essential travel that needs to go back and forth and we are taking all of these measures very seriously,” Chang said, adding. “We have taken a lot of measures at BC Ferries to ensure, not only our customer’s safety, but our employee’s safety for the sailings that our continuing.”
Nicholas Pescod
