Editor:
While it’s good to see BC Ferries has noticed Route 3 to Langdale is a “hot spot,” more promises from them to “listen and engage” give us no more hope than “thoughts and prayers.”
If they are truly “looking into prioritizing” Coastal residents, perhaps they will consider these five steps that require no additional staff or ferries:
1. Allow Sunshine Coast residents to upload their ID in their BC Ferries accounts, or reinstate the Coast Resident card (as the petition on Change.Org is requesting).
2. Allow verified Coast residents to make reservations on all sailings at all times until the sailing is 100% full. Ideally, waive the reservation fees for Coast residents -- but any reservations are better than none.
3. Check ID for last name, when passengers claim their reservations -- as BC Parks do now, to prevent reservations being resold.
4. Allow foot passenger reservations on Route 3, as they do on Gulf Island routes. (Foot passengers were turned away on July 10, due to staff shortages.)
5. Remove fees for reservation changes or cancellations, up to 1 hour before sailing, so current availability is more accurate. (At 7 a.m. this morning [Sunday, Aug. 21] the 8:40 sailing showed as 45% full, yet there were only 12 cars in the lot. Today’s reservations have all been sold out for weeks.)
Sincerely,
Lise Kreps, Halfmoon Bay
