Ferry Advisory Committees are looking toward the future; theirs as well as the ferry service’s.
The FACs have been meeting with BC Ferries this week.
Gabriola Island FAC Chair John Hodgkins says during the consultations on service cuts they brought in people like the Chamber of Commerce and the Arts Council, and they’d like to build on that.
On the Sunshine Coast, FAC Chair Barry Cavens says they’re wondering about a role that allows them scope to go beyond day to day operations at BC Ferries.
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Cavens says the consultations on the service cuts showed the limitations of the FACs as they’re set up now.
As for some of the immediate issues:
The Gabriola FAC says its working on concerns about late sailings under the new schedule and how to deal with traffic back-ups, especially on the Gabriola side where there are safety concerns about line-ups stretching along the narrow, winding road to the terminal.
The Sunshine Coast FAC continues to work on getting a 5:30pm sailing out of Horseshoe Bay year ’round – something Cavens thinks they might be able to achieve through work with a group looking at operations at the HSB terminal. He also says they’re concerned about “fare equity” with respect to trucks and oversize traffic. Cavens say those vehicles are paying more on the Langdale route than routes to the Island and that’s impacting prices on the Sunshine Coast and how much it costs local companies to send their goods to market.
