Many people may have struggled to find convenient time slots while booking their ferry tickets or experienced long wait times at terminals across the province this summer.
This situation is partly due to BC Ferries experiencing its busiest summer in its 64-year history.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen significant increases in both passenger and vehicle traffic compared to last year,鈥� said Ritinder Matthew, BC Ferries' director of media and issues. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have the August numbers yet, but for June and July, we鈥檝e seen a 1.6 per cent increase in total passengers, with 5.16 million travelling in June and July compared to the same period last year. And a 3 per cent increase in vehicle traffic, with 2.08 million vehicles transported in June and July.鈥�
With a fleet of 35 boats, ranging from major vessels to small ferries, offering 25 routes and performing on average over 500 sailings daily, BC Ferries welcomed over 22.6 million passengers and 9.6 million vehicles for the .
Preparing for the season ahead back in spring, BC Ferries optimized their schedule, hired nearly 600 new employees and added extra sailings, according to Matthew.
However, running an operation this big comes with its challenges and hiccups.
In addition to longer wait times and a significant rise in drive-up traffic at terminals across the province, BC Ferries' aging fleet is becoming more apparent, with some vessels having been .
鈥淒espite our best efforts, we鈥檝e had occasional cancelled sailings this summer due to mechanical issues,鈥� said Matthew.
Looking forward, the organization is working on revitalizing its fleet in the coming years to meet the ever-growing demand and increase capacity, noted Matthew. Among these are seven state-of-the-art hybrid ships that will serve the organization鈥檚 busiest routes.
These colossal watercrafts are set to carry up to 360 standard-sized vehicles and 2,100 passengers, compared to the 250-310 vehicles and 1,200-1,500 passengers that retiring vessels can accommodate.
The first ship is set to hit the water in 2029, with the rest following in succession by 2033.
Expected delays for Labour Day weekend
In preparation for Labour Day weekend (Aug. 29 鈥� Sept. 3), BC Ferries is expecting a high volume of travellers and additional wait time for passengers without reservations, said Matthew.
鈥淚n terms of projections for the upcoming weekend for the major routes, we expect it to be quite busy. Historically, Labour Day is less busy than BC Day but busier than Canada Day. We are anticipating about 90,000 vehicles and 270,000 passengers,鈥� Matthew said.
With peak-time reservations already selling out, Matthew mentioned that some spots in the early mornings and late evenings are still available.
As reservations are selling out quickly, last-minute travel without one may become increasingly difficult. BC Ferries encourages travellers to plan ahead, consider off-peak times or opt to walk on as foot passengers when vehicle reservations are not available.
Peak travel days are usually Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays, said Matthew.
