BC Ferries started its new “expanded” schedule for the Langdale-Horsehoe Bay route Jan. 2.
The schedule includes the standard eight round trips a day, but with longer gaps between sailings and a later end to the day, with the final trip out of Langdale at 8:55 p.m. and the final sailing from Horseshoe Bay scheduled for 10:55 p.m.
Ferries created the new schedule, as well as new schedules for the Nanaimo and Bowen Island routes, in order to reduce congestion at Horseshoe Bay and improve on-time performance.
Holiday traffic was still causing issues on Tuesday and Wednesday with overloads and possible overloads for the morning sailings from Langdale, and Deborah Marshall of BC Ferries said the situation showed the advantage of the longer gaps.
“With the old schedule, we probably would be running 20 minutes behind by mid-day, but because we’ve got the extra resilience in the schedule now, we were bang on time all day,” she said.
In its latest newsletter, the Southern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) said while it welcomes the changes, they’re only part of the solution and the committee hopes for “focused action” to maintain and enhance ferry service.
The FAC said traffic volumes are on track to exceed the record set in 2008. The FAC notes that while that’s generally good news for the economy, it’s also a concern. “We’re now experiencing more frequent and greater overloads on some of our route’s sailings,” the committee said. “This traffic increase will be further impacted by the upcoming fare cut and the return of the B.C. seniors’ Monday to Thursday free travel.”
“If the ferry system is to adequately accommodate the traffic expected next year, we need more than just longer-spaced ferry sailing times,” the newsletter said.
