Corporation’s CEO Mark Collins says the trial had become too divisive in the community. The Ferry service will remain unchanged
(By News Desk)
BC Ferries has cancelled its proposed trial with a 95 per cent reservation system, CEO Mark Collins told the Sechelt of Chamber of Commerce at a Zoom meeting today. The ferry system will remain unchanged.
The Experience Card can continue to be used, there are no plans to revoke the discount.
The only change is that due to Covid, no extra sailings are scheduled for this summer.
BC Ferries was surprised by the degree of divisiveness and opposition that ensued almost immediately after the trial plans were announced.
“The discussion became too divisive for us to carry on,” Collins said.
Lack of communication
Why did BC Ferris not communicate better with the public about this trial, someone asked. “We needed the endorsement of the local governments before we could communicate to the population,” Collins replied.
Mayor Darnelda Siegers of the District of Sechelt expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the trial. She attributed a lot of the negative feedback to a lack of communication.
“The background information presented today was unknown to the community. And BC Ferries presented the plan to us, [local government], as if fares would not go up. That was not entirely accurate.”
“Yes, if you never make a reservation, the price would slightly have gone up during the trial,” Collins admitted. “My apologies. We looked at an average, half the people use reservations now. But even with one reservation, you’d get your money back. And for those who never make reservations: the travel certainty would have been a significant added value.”
Priority boarding for residents
During the Zoom meeting, Collins was asked if BC Ferries would consider priority boarding for Sunshine Coast residents. He said the corporation will be happy to talk about it, but community consensus is needed.
“Elected representatives could conduct a referendum.” he said. “If the idea is overwhelmingly popular, BC Ferries would absolutely entertain that possibility.”
BC Ferries will not stop looking for other solutions in the future as well, he said. “We will be guided by the community — we’ve had a lot of guidance this week. It is not our place to cause division. We prefer to have a conversation without the pressure of the trial.”
The success of any new trial, which is not in the works at this time, will be based on collaboration and community consultation, he promised. Customer surveys will be conducted, the corporation will carefully analyze statistics and then look at the data together with the community. “We will certainly keep listening.”
Second vessel for Sunshine Coast route
After hearing in public consultations that Sunshine Coast residents were unhappy with the present system, BC Ferries looked for a solution that works successfully on other routes, Collins said.
BC Ferries operates four routes in BC with a 100 per cent reservation system: Tsawassen to Mayne Island, Bella Coola to Port Hardy, Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, and Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii.
Why did BC Ferries not propose trials with 95 or 100 per cent reservations on other major routes, someone asked.
No other routes had asked for it, Collins replied. “This [trial] was driven by consultation with the Sunshine Coast.”
A second ship is not on the horizon. It would cost $150 to 200 million, and even if it was ordered now, it would take five years before it sails, he said. “There is the issue of capital. We can’t take it on ourselves, it’s up to the government, and with Covid, the priorities lie elsewhere. But if the government asks, we will certainly entertain the idea.”
We used to have hourly sailings, especially in the summer. Why was service reduced?
There may not be the staff available. There is a housing crisis and asking for summer staff that has to find housing may be an impossibility. In order to keep the current schedule BC ferries frequently calls in people from Horseshoe Bay and pays hotels when they haven’t the staff and people are sick, etc. The amount of staff members on board is dictated by Transport Canada, and must be adhered to in the event of an emergency.
The people have spoken and BC Ferries reluctantly listened.
It’s very simple – Give us our second ferry back and figure out which of the many other routes between Vancouver and Vancouver Island will be down one ferry. That is not our problem so stop making it our problem and every time we say we want it back do not tell us it has to be a new ferry that you cannot afford.
We were led to believe reservations were free. But they added it into the cost of the ticket. My last sailing cost me $55.70 for a car and two people. On the new system for the same trip would be over $70.00. That is more than a small increase when I travel 8 times a month. Also, as a senior I will save more money during the week. Mayor Darnelda Siegers, that is more than a small increase. This program was great for tourists but lousy for your voters.
Why was B.C. Ferries “surprised” at the degree of opposition? Why did local governments endorse the plan? “This [trial] was driven by consultation with the Sunshine Coast.” Who did they consult?
The Sunshine Coast notoriously had a large segment of spineless politicians.
These ferry woes will not change or just go away. I think most residents agree that changes are needed. There is only one ship that cannot handle peak times. There is one remedy only that will fix this continual problem and that is another ship to augment the service. We the residents know this. BC Ferries knows this but continually kicks the can down the road. This is one of the few routes in the fleet that has in the past made money. And there is no other route in the fleet that experiences the malady of Route 3. Why the tap dance continues is beyond imagination. So many hours and years of meetings and committees has not done anything but add to the dilemma.