Friday April 3, 2020 ~ BC
~ West Shore Voice News
Due to significantly lower usage of BC Ferries for passenger and vehicle traffic in recent weeks (due to the self-isolation and social distancing required during the COVID-19 pandemic), the transportation provider has today announced a reduction in the number of sailings.
Across the ferry network, capacity will be reduced by approximately half compared to this time last year. Most service reductions will go into effect on Saturday April 4 for a period of 60 days.
This follows an earlier reduction in ‘additional sailings’ on four routes that were scheduled for April (usually a busy month on and around the Easter long weekend and as spring tourism normally ramps up), as announced back on March 20 when a decline in traffic of about 40% due to COVID-19.
The adjusted service levels across multiple routes for the next 60 days will help protect the health and safety of communities and ferry workers, ensure the resiliency of the coastal ferry service, and better match ferry service to current demand.
The Coastal Ferry Services Contract with the Province of British Columbia has been amended to permit these service reductions.
Over 1,400 employees have been laid off as part of this service curtailment.
During this time, BC Ferries will monitor service levels in conjunction with the Province to ensure essential service levels are maintained and to determine when services should resume to normal levels, it was stated in a news release today April 3.
“These changes are designed to ensure we have sufficient capacity to allow the flow of essential goods, services, supplies and workers to their destinations,” said Mark Collins, president and CEO, BC Ferries. “We will continue to transport the goods communities rely on, and we will get people to where they need to go.”
Effective Saturday April 4, 2020 the service level adjustments are as follows:
- Regular sailings on the Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen – Duke Point reduced to four round trips a day from the present eight on both routes.
- Four additional “cargo only” round trips will be provided on the Tsawwassen – Duke Point route, to ensure essential goods are transported to and from Vancouver Island.
- Service on the Langdale – Horseshoe Bay route is reduced to six round trips a day from the present eight.
- All service on the Horseshoe Bay – Nanaimo route is suspended.
- All service on the Mill Bay – Brentwood Bay route is suspended.
- For northern and mid-coast communities, service will continue to operate at the current off-peak (winter) service levels. The summer direct service from Bella Coola to Port Hardy will not be introduced at this time
- Changes will be coming to the Tsawwassen – Southern Gulf Islands and Swartz Bay – Southern Gulf Islands service. Details are currently being finalized and will be announced soon.
The remaining routes and schedules are unchanged for now. Maintaining the delivery of essential goods and services and ensuring that health care and other essential workers can continue to use the ferry to commute to work will be a priority.
Last month the services on board such as dining were closed as part of helping to prevent community spread of COVID-19.
As of March 17, BC Ferries started allowing customers to remain in their vehicles on the enclosed car deck during the COVID-19 situation, to help support social distancing and self-isolation.
On March 25, BC Ferries announced a 1.5 per cent fuel rebate effective April 1, passing on recent declines in fuel cost to ferry users.