We’re into the summer now.
But there won’t be any changes to Gabriola’s schedule. That story here.
No extra sailings to alleviate summer traffic. Instead, BC Ferries encourages those riding ferries to do so during non-peak hours.
The issue: Gabriola’s peak hours for the Nanaimo Harbour terminal run from 2pm until the final boat sails at 11:30.
Not a single regular user of the ferry isn’t aware that BC Ferries won’t run the second ship because of staffing issues.
Just like everyone, BCF is still trying to get more staff brought on. That’s accepted. What isn’t accepted is that there doesn’t seem to be any promise of a day when – if staff are physically available – BCF will start running both ships for the entire Route 19 schedule.
From Monday to Saturday, twice as many people can leave Gabriola to get to work as can come home in the evening.
Here’s how that math works. There are two ships running when commuters leave Gabriola. Capacity to leave the island before 4pm is double what the capacity to return to Gabriola is after 5:50pm.
Compound this with the Thursday and Friday evenings when weekenders, festival goers, and all the commuters, after-school activity students, and anyone else who happened to stay in town, and we have a situation where the lines run down Front Street.
Compound again with the long break between 7:40pm and 9:25pm.
Every. Single. Night.
But – there were a thousand sailings added to the rest of the system.
Clearly, if there’s a will, there’s a budget.
But for Gabriola, there’s simply no more will.
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