B.C. Premier John Horgan has asked Prime Minister Trudeau to waive the federal rules that prohibit passengers from remaining in their vehicles on enclosed lower vehicle decks during BC Ferries sailings.
Horgan said he raised the issue during a conference call between first ministers on Friday, March 13, as part of the discussion on measures to protect the public from COVID-19 transmission.
“BC Ferries has requested leniency from Transport Canada and that hasn’t been granted,” Horgan said at a news conference later in the day.
“So I raised with the Prime Minister my view that in this instance we want to see social distancing – and if we have to direct people to leave their vehicles to congregate in smaller spaces for an hour and a half, that’s not good public health policy.”
Horgan said Trudeau assured him that “he would discuss that with his colleagues at Transport Canada.”
Since October 2017, BC Ferries has been enforcing the rule banning passengers from enclosed car decks during sailings. The Transport Canada regulation is contained in the Canada Shipping Act and had been on the books since 2007.
Customers can request to be placed on the upper vehicle deck, where the prohibition does not apply, but BC Ferries says it cannot accommodate all requests.
