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Hostage scenarios endless

Editor: This has to be the worst plan BC Ferries has come up with to date – it’s utterly insane – to subject us on Route 3 to a 95 per cent reservation system, where there is no room for last-minute ferry travel.

Editor:

This has to be the worst plan BC Ferries has come up with to date – it’s utterly insane – to subject us on Route 3 to a 95 per cent reservation system, where there is no room for last-minute ferry travel. This is unheard of and is discriminatory, as it would only apply to one route. As a plan intended to make ferry travel more stress free, it would be doing the opposite, creating more stress, anxiety and chaos.

In many ways we are a bedroom community of Vancouver – people use this ferry like a highway to connect to jobs, hospitals, doctors’ appointments, etc. What would happen if you can’t make your reserved ferry back at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances and couldn’t get another reservation for days because everything is booked out? What would happen if you work out of town and don’t have a set schedule? How long would you have to wait for a reservation to come up so that you could finally get home? Or your plane is late and you can’t make your reservation? The scenarios are endless. We would be held hostage to a reservation system where there would be no other possibility to get on to the ferry.

We would suggest a reservation system of no more than 30 per cent with a vehicle fare paid in full at the time of booking and to leave everything else the way it currently is. What we need is increased ferry service, at least in peak season.

This new plan is good only for BC Ferries and nobody else. I would strongly urge the ferry company not to go ahead with this trial and municipal governments and the SCRD not to support it.

Beate and Wolfgang Blawert, Sechelt