Editor:
I am writing to add my name to the growing list of individuals who live on the Sunshine Coast and wish to make their voices known that, yes, we need a passenger-only ferry service.
B.C. Ferries could make it possible by contracting out this service and using the present Langdale ferry dock. It could work. It's our ferry dock. Taxpayers paid for it.
Having a passenger-only ferry service to Vancouver from the Sunshine Coast would make it so much easier to live on the Coast. We are part of the mainland; therefore, give us good access to the mainland. The car ferry service is for those who will be taking their car, which I do on occasion. How nice it would be not to wait for that big ferry to get us to Vancouver or home to the Sunshine Coast? Just think of the tourists who would come to the Coast.
A passenger-only ferry service would be far more economical to operate by not requiring fuel to move hundreds of tons of vehicles and also would eliminate wait times involved because of vehicle overloads and loading and off-loading time, saving union worker labour hours involved as well as huge overtime paid out. This would result in lower fares, which would increase passenger volumes and improve the frequency of service, which would be beneficial to all Sunshine Coast residents.
I am glad to see that Gibsons voted in favour of a committee recommendation to lend its support to this cause as well as the Sunshine Coast Regional District for putting it on their agenda.
Joanne Hudder, Gibsons
