The days of waiting out a BC Ferries ride in one’s car will soon be coming to end, at least if you’re planning to stow away on the ferry’s lower vehicle deck.
According to a BC Ferries release, on Oct. 11 the company will start following the Transport Canada regulation prohibiting passengers from remaining in their vehicle on any closed-deck vessel that is underway.
Since 2007, BC Ferries have been able to mitigate that regulation by maintaining a continuous car deck patrol that allows people to stay in their vehicles while still abiding by the Transport Canada regulation.
“The regulations relate to safety, and the safety of our passengers and employees is a core value for BC Ferries,” said the company’s vice-president of fleet operations, Capt. Jamie Marshall, in a news release.
The new policy applies to the lower vehicle decks on 18 vessels, including vessels that operate between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay, as well as the Langdale terminal.
On larger vessels with both an upper and lower vehicle deck, customers will still be able to remain in their vehicles on the upper vehicle deck.
According to the release, when the new policy is rolled out Oct. 11, BC Ferries staff will adopt a “soft approach” to enforcement by informing customers of the Transport Canada regulation and asking them to comply.
