The new, bigger Southern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) held its first public meeting May 19 in Gibsons – and although several of the faces around the table have changed, many of the issues haven’t.
Questions came up on BC Ferries’ communication with travellers about traffic at the terminals, overloads and schedule disruptions, the quality of WiFi, requesting spots on the upper deck, and coordination with public transit, especially at Horseshoe Bay.
At the top of the agenda was assured boarding for people with medical issues and on that perennial issue there was a sign of progress, thanks to comments from new FAC appointee Coun. David Croal, representing the Town of Gibsons.
Passengers can get so-called “Medical Assured Loading,” but it requires paperwork from doctors in advance and knowing which sailing they’ll need.
The FAC has pointed out in the past that the system isn’t well understood by doctors and staff at facilities on the Lower Mainland, and isn’t always practical for someone undergoing a medical procedure who doesn’t know when they’ll be discharged, or someone who goes in for a last-minute or emergency surgery.
There have been requests, and even and online petition, for giving priority boarding to anyone travelling under the TAP program, which pays the fare for people who need to go off-Coast for medical appointments of any type.
Both BC Ferries and the FAC have been reluctant to endorse that idea because, with around 2,000 TAP travellers every month, it would be impractical.
Croal said when he found himself returning from a surgery that left him in no condition to endure a sailing wait, he had his doctor write a prescription saying he needed to be on the next available sailing.
“I presented it when I got my ticket and I was on – it was that simple,” he said.
“If someone shows up and there are obvious signs of distress, we’ll make a judgment call. It is difficult when there aren’t obvious signs,” said Doug Henning, BC Ferries regional manager for terminal operations. “It puts our staff at some level of concern when they’re having to make a subjective decision on what somebody’s telling them.”
Anne Cochran, another new FAC member, said training ticket agents to recognize a valid prescription form should be a simple matter and there was little likelihood patients or their doctors would abuse the system.
“How long do we talk about it before we address something that I don’t think would be all that complicated?” Cochran asked.
Darin Guenette, manager of public affairs for BC Ferries, called the prescription suggestion “the first idea we’ve heard that might have some strong merit” for finding a way for last-minute medical priority boarding.
“It’s an issue that’s going to keep coming back to this table until we find some sort of resolution,” said chair Diana Mumford.
