Trouble with delays and overloads on the Langdale ferry route since March 20 has reignited talk about how to improve service on Route 3.
In November, even before the hourly runs carrying loads of roughly 175 vehicles started on Jan. 19, Ferry Advisory Committee chair Diana Mumford asked, “What if the byproduct of all this is that the residents of the Sunshine Coast fall madly in love with the hourly service? If everything goes perfectly and there’s no overloads and everything’s on time, and it’s hourly, you’re going to have a hard act to follow.”
Coast Reporter asked candidates in Powell River-Sunshine Coast for their thoughts on schedule changes.
Incumbent MLA Nicholas Simons of the NDP said he’d be willing to lobby for the sort of hourly schedule that was so well received earlier this year.
“It shortened the trip for Powell River residents as well,” Simons said. “There’s a cost associated with improving service, but it should be at a level that allows businesses and communities to flourish.”
Green candidate Kim Darwin had a similar view.
“I would most certainly advocate for regular hourly sailings, keeping in mind that in order to do so in a more cost-effective and environmentally efficient manner, we would need to invest in smaller ferries,” Darwin said.
Reuben Richards, the Cascadia Party contender, said he does not support any change that would reduce capacity.
Liberal Mathew Wilson did not respond in time for Coast Reporter’s deadline, but in a Facebook comment about our story on fares remaining unchanged for Route 3, he noted there is “still lots of work to do to make this route work for coastal residents, working families, seniors and businesses.”
The hourly service may not be here to stay, but Deborah Marshall of BC Ferries said this week that the company expects to start consultations soon on permanent schedule changes that could improve on-time performance and reduce overloads.
The main idea being considered is an extension to the service day, which would space the sailings out a little more to make it easier to keep the vessels on schedule.
“We talked to the Ferry Advisory Committee about it, and they’ve asked us to go out and do a broader consultation,” said Marshall. “We will be planning on doing that this spring. The on-time performance on Route 3 certainly needs to be improved, and we want to work with our customers on getting the best ideas on how we can do that.”
