Ferry conundrum

We're all keen to criticise BC Ferries when things go wrong.
Sure, when it's a failure on the part of their organisation then they should be held to account. But when the problem is outside BC Ferries' control, they still seem to get the blame!

Take Transport Canada's new regulations on marine staffing levels. The government has imposed restrictions that mean fewer passengers can be carried on many of BCF's smaller vessels unless crew numbers are increased - and that, we're told, would cost BC Ferries another $3 million a year. That's $3 million that they don't currently have, so what should they do?

BC Ferries are quoted as saying: "Our traffic department is analyzing historical traffic patterns so we can identify those times when we think it's going to be busier and we can add an extra person. We've also asked the ferry advisory committees and residents of the community (to) let us know if there's going to be a festival or something like that going on, where they expect to have more traffic. Then we can plan for that. But just to add that extra crew member all the time, when you don't need it for your licence, is a waste of money."

That's perfectly true, of course. An extra member of crew on every ferry would be a waste of money - because it would be our money that would be used to pay for it, through higher fares on every route, all of the time. And that would just lead to more criticism of BC Ferries - so no-one wins.

So North Island MLA Claire Trevena has experienced at first hand the impact of the new restrictions on the Powell River Queen, whose passenger capacity has been slashed from 402 to 193. Slashed by Transport Canada - not by BC Ferries of course. Yet Trevena chooses to point the finger at BC Ferries, not Transport Canada...

"The whole way that BC Ferries is operating is an argument for confusion and ferry rage" she told the Courier-Islander. when she arrived in time for the 5:25 p.m. ferry only to find that a number of young people were heading over to Camp Homewood, helping to push the passenger count to its new limit. It's BC Ferries to blame, of course, for their policy of allowing foot passengers to board before cars are loaded.

Why do they do that? Well, from what I can see it's the safest thing to do. On the minor ferry routes there's only one boarding ramp and foot passengers are loaded first so that they can get to the seating area before vehicles start to board. And yes, this could mean that if an exceptional number of foot passengers are on board, then it's the car drivers that may have to wait the next ferry. In their car, in the dry, listening to the radio. Probably with a good book.

The most likely time ferries will reach capacity is time when students are travelling to and from school. Maybe the School Board should fund the extra crew member at these times? But where does the money come from if the school boards are already cash starved? We won't blame the school board of course, because we can blame BC Ferries!

Maybe it's time for the Ferry Advisory Committees to work with BC Ferries and Transport Canada to reach a sensible solution that won't result in BC Ferries wasting our money, and won't push the fares up. Transport Canada requires extra crew to be available if the number of passengers exceeds the new limit for each vessel. What for? Not to operate the vessel - just to ensure that passengers are safe in the event of an incident. So maybe, just maybe, this is an opportunity for the community to play it's part, and for each FAC to arrange for volunteers to be trained in marine safety procedures so that there's less likelihood of a sudden surge in passengers resulting in drivers being left behind.

It should be the responsibility of any organisation that requires large numbers of people (maybe more than 20?) to travel on the ferry at one time to ensure that they have someone who has been trained in marine safety procedures to meet and travel with the group - whether that's the School Board, Camp Homewood, or any community organisation. If they don't have a trained volunteer available, then they should pay BC Ferries to provide the extra crew member.

As a transport operator for many years, I can sympathise with BC Ferries' reluctance to fund the whole cost themselves. If the regulators change the rules, then a choice has to be made - but that choice has to be sustainable. At the end of the day, the operator's responsibility is to ensure the safety of passengers - and if that means limiting the supply to an affordable level, then that's what has to be done.

If Transport Canada decided that every taxi needed a second driver on board (just in case of an incident) then we'd soon lose all of our island taxis. We wouldn't blame the taxi owners of course, because we know that they couldn't afford to employ all those extra drivers. We'd probably blame BC Ferries!