A petition is calling on the City of Vancouver to once again sell in-person tickets for rides on the Stanley Park Railway.
Since reopening after the pandemic, the operator of the popular downtown attraction sells tickets exclusively online through partner Showpass. Tickets to the seasonal Stanley Park Ghost Train and Stanley Park Christmas Train typically sell out fast.
A sign near the train informs visitors that tickets must be purchased online. It also says that if ticket holders don’t show up, the train may depart with empty seats. Empty seats will not be reassigned to in-person visitors.
Reinstate Same-Day and In-Person Ticketing for Stanley Park’s Seasonal Train Rides (Change.org)
West End resident Aviva Lacterman launched a petition this week calling for the railway to reinstate in-person ticket sales.
“This new practice of online only is unfair on many levels,” she wrote. “Even though staff of the Stanley Park [Railway] say that they have moved to the online system to ‘enhance the customer experience’ which has not been the case at all.”
She noted that not everyone can use technology to purchase tickets, and the practice may exclude seniors. She also asked why space can’t be reallocated if a ticket holder gets sick or can’t come due to weather.
“All they seem to be concerned about is that their new system works better for ‘operations — but what about the public?” Lacterman wrote. “The policy of not being allowed to fill empty seats is just lacking in common sense.”
The petition also generated some passionate comments about the issue.
“Spontaneity and patience are valuable qualities and experiences in life, and bureaucracies should not spoil them,” Karin Litzck wrote.
“This dependency on using the internet and such platforms for participation events and activities is shutting down inclusivity and must be stopped,” Sharai Mustatia added.
City says online system a response to crowds
The City of Vancouver told Daily Hive it implemented the online system as demand for the seasonal railway attractions grew.
The popularity resulted “thousands of people showing up to purchase tickets on-site, especially as the event dates drew closer,” the City said. “Unfortunately, this led to many guests being turned away, creating long lines and frustration for both visitors and staff.”
The City added the crowding often resulted in poor experiences for guests. It compared tickets to the Stanley Park Railway to concert tickets that required planning and purchasing in advance.
“We recognize that the online system may not be ideal for every visitor, but we believe it offers the best solution to accommodate the majority of guests, including those traveling from further away or with specific accessibility needs.”