At this point, a long weekend just means another series of online rants about BC Ferries.
Travellers were furious this weekend after folks waiting to board a vessel from the island heading towards the mainland or other parts of Vancouver Island were stuck in lines for hours.
A TikTok user, natravelings, was travelling to Vancouver and posted a video Monday after being stuck in a painfully long line near Swartz Bay.
“Worst recorded weekend for traffic on BC Ferries,” they claimed.
@natravelings Worst recorded weekend for traffic on BC Ferries #traffic #travel #driving #canada🇨🇦 #britishcolumbia #vancouverisland #victoria #bc #bcferries ♬ Ain’t It Fun – Paramore
From the Departure Bay Terminal, Erin Keam, who was travelling with his three kids, wrote on Facebook that he felt BC Ferries did not understand what passengers need when travelling and that it’s about time they learn.
“We need to show up on time yet BC Ferries makes me and others wait 6+ hours to catch a ferry!” he said. “Its an integral part the BC road network, its time to invest some money into it and stop f*cking us over because it’s the only way to get across the strait.
“Sorry/not sorry BC Ferries but you f*cking suck!”
To draw a comparison between travelling companies, Facebook user Jane Poster shared her experience with the London North Eastern Railway train service. She said the LNER sent her a text to alert her her train was just one minute late.
“Dear BC Ferries: Observe this text,” she wrote, attaching a screenshot of the LNER text. “Also, note that they are SORRY about this.”
With so much anger looming, some folks even hope for the company’s downfall.
“I hope when they replace the Ferries they keep one as a ‘Spare’ it would be stupid not to, it’s a no brainer,” Rob Petrie wrote.
In a response to Daily Hive, BC Ferries said it understands how frustrated and disappointed people were this weekend due to the high traffic volumes.
“We’ve added as much capacity as we can to help, but we recognize it may still be difficult for many travellers. We truly empathize with those affected and are doing everything possible to support travel plans during this time,” the company said. “This situation really underscores the importance of adding a net new vessel to our fleet and is something we’ll be advocating for with the Ferry Commissioner. Expanding our fleet is vital to our key role in keeping families connected on BC’s coast.”
BC Ferries said that the Queen of New Westminster is undergoing significant repairs and will be out of service until spring. As a result, the ferry system’s capacity is limited, increasing the risk of being turned away at the terminal.
“We know how busy this past weekend was, and with Thanksgiving approaching, we expect similar challenges,” it said.
“We sincerely appreciate passengers’ understanding and patience as we navigate these busy periods.”
According to BC Ferries, Thanksgiving (Monday, October 14) weekend ranks as the fifth busiest period for the company.
BC Ferries is urging passengers to book their travel in advance or to walk on board where possible. It is even giving a cheaper incentive to travel during off-peak times.
For further details or to book your travel, click here.