To meet increased holiday traffic, BC Ferries has announced additional sailings during peak travel days.
Between December 18 and January 4, 112 sailings are being added between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay as well as 42 additional sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay. Four sailings have been added between Duke Point and Tsawwassen.
Deborah Marshall, BC Ferries executive director of public affairs, said that on the Earls Cove - Saltery Bay route, sailing times will be adjusted on Sunday, December 28, to connect with the revised schedule on the Langdale - Horseshoe Bay route. She said that one additional round trip on the Langdale route is being added that day, as BC Ferries expects it to be one of the busiest travel days on the coast. She said that on Saltery Bay - Earls Cove route that day the regular weekday schedule will be running, excluding the 5:35 am and 6:30 am sailings, to meet the demand.
On the Comox - Powell River route, one additional round trip sailing has been added on Saturday, December 27. It will leave Comox at 3:15 pm and return from Powell River at 5:15 pm.
The ferry corporation is expecting heavier traffic on the system from December 26 to 28 and recommends its customers make reservations for travel on a specific sailing during those days.
From December 21 to 29, schedules have been expanded on the Horseshoe Bay terminal’s routes to Nanaimo, Langdale and Bowen Island to allow for more in-dock time in order to perform on-time vessel maintenance during the peak period.
Sailing schedules on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day will be reduced on some routes due to historical low demand.
For full holiday schedule details, to make reservations or to check travel advisory notices and current conditions at major terminals, readers can visit BC Ferries online.
BC Ferries eliminates fuel surcharge
BC Ferries has announced it will eliminate the 3.4 per cent fuel surcharge starting Wednesday, December 17.
“With the current favourable market conditions, we have been hedging out diesel fuel costs and are now in a position to eliminate that fuel surcharge, which is great news for holiday travellers,” said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries president and chief operating officer, in a media release, Monday, December 15. “We know that fare affordability is an issue for our customers and we are pleased to be able to reduce the cost of ferry travel, as every helps.”
Corrigan added that even though BC Ferries still has an outstanding balance in its fuel deferral account, the remainder continues to drop and forecasts indicate that it will be eliminated in the first half of 2015.
