To the Editor,
After six weeks of community consultation by B.C. Ferries this past spring, the schedules originally proposed by the provincial government were refined on all of the affected routes to try to introduce the best timetables that still met the service reductions outlined by the province.
Any change to ferry service takes some time to get used to, however on several routes, including the Gabriola Island-to-Nanaimo Harbour route, late-morning delays and congestion issues have arisen. Over the summer we’ve been working with the ferry advisory committee as well as hearing suggestions from other customers about some refinements we could make to the schedules to mitigate these issues.
We certainly understand the vital role we play in maintaining the quality of life for people who live, work and travel in and around coastal B.C. We will continue to work with the ferry advisory committee this fall to get a sense of community preference about possible schedule tweaks that can be made to meet the needs of the majority of ferry users while still achieving the net savings set out by the provincial government.
Corrine Storeyvice-president, customer servicesB.C. Ferries