BC Ferries lays out roadmap for better reliability ahead of ‘busiest summer ever’

BC Ferries is laying out a roadmap for reducing cancellations and improving reliability ahead of the busy summer season.

It comes as the ferry service gears up for the Victoria Day long weekend, its fourth-busiest travel period of the year.

The company is projecting that the 2024 summer will be its busiest travel season ever, with an anticipated 8 million passengers and 3.2 million vehicles between June and September.

0:58 BC Ferries expanding pet area on some vessels

Recent summers have seen the ferry service plagued by cancellations, sometimes on key long weekends, due to mechanical problems and crew shortages.

“It’s no secret last summer we faced a lot of challenges,” BC Ferries spokesperson Jeff Groot said. “We’re in a much better place in how we can bring customers the reliability they need.”

Groot said the company has “tightened” its maintenance schedule this year, to ensure all vessels will be ready to go by mid-June.

The company is also adding an additional 350 sailings this summer and Groot said it has boosted wages “substantially” to improve staff recruitment and retention.

Darren Johnston, BC Ferries’ vice-president of marine operations, said the company hired 1,200 new workers last year and another 500 this year, setting it on an “upward gradient” towards stabilizing its workforce.

“The risk fo cancellations or service disruptions as a result of crewing issues is significantly lower this year than it was last year and in particular the year before when we had some really significant challenges in this area,” said Darren Johnston, BC Ferries’ vice-president of marine operations.

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Cancellations due to crew shortages fell 44 per cent in 2023, he said.

“But as much as we do, and we will continue to work on it, there will always be some small amount of risk,” he acknowledged.

BC Ferries has rolled out several other changes it says will help it communicate with customers about conditions on the ground.

Those include a new “current conditions” webpage for minor routes, and the installation of live webcams at more terminals.

The company has also established vessel trackers and more current service notices in an online hub, and is adding more reduced fare sailings during off-peak hours.

To help with affordability, BC Ferries said it is dropping its four-percent fuel surcharge from all routes starting June 1.