As of Friday morning, passengers on the lower car decks of sailings between Horseshoe Bay and the Sunshine Coast can stay in their vehicles during crossings.
In March of this year, a commercial vehicle struck the main car deck safety gate of the Queen of Coquitlam, requiring the bow and stern doors to be closed during the crossings. Transport Canada requires all passengers leave closed car decks during sailings – a measure that had been temporarily lifted at the start of the pandemic but that was reinstated in fall 2020. The Langdale route was exempted when the rules were reinstated following "modifications to the vessels and procedures," allowing the rear doors to stay open so the deck could qualify as an open car deck.
It wasn't just Queen of Coquitlam passengers affected when the commercial vehicle hit the safety gate. "Out of an abundance of caution, passengers have been required to vacate the closed vehicle deck on all vessels during sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale," said a July 22 BC Ferries news release.
But, now, after a "thorough review of the incident" and "in-depth inspections," more safety precautions have been put into place and BC Ferries has lifted the mandatory visit to the upper decks, said the release.
So, as of July 22, there's no need to switch out of your sweatpants – just stay in your car, kick back, and listen to the symphony of car alarms.
– With files from Sean Eckford
