BC Ferries Shares Exciting News.
When the ships are late, ferry passengers waiting to board get angry.
When ferries experiences unexpected mechanical issues & are delayed or pulled from service, the passengers with ferry reservations booked, get angry.
When a ship is tired and needs to be retired or replaced, taxpayers get angry.
To offset all this anger, and with an eye to the future, BC Ferries has researched and is now in the process of not only upgrading a couple of the traditional “oldies but goodies,” but getting ready to build 5 new ferries with all the technological advantages.
The 43 year old C-class Ro/Ro Queen of Oak Bay which serves the Vancouver - Nanaimo ferry route is scheduled for an upgrade.
And so too, is the double ended Queen of Surrey which serves as the main Vancouver- Sunshine Coat ferry.
In addition to the “oldie but goody” upgrades, BC ferry passengers can look forward to travelling on new clean & quiet, energy efficient and environmentally sustainable double-ended ferries that in size, will be amongst the largest in the world.
The call for RFPs has gone out and the responses are being waited for & weighed so that budget approvals can be had from the BC Ferries Commissioner.
Once budgets are secured, travellers taking ferries along the BC coast in the future can look forward to boarding and travelling on hybrid vessels that are not only more fuel efficient, but involve less maintenance.
When fuel consumption is improved and when less maintenance is required, costs go down, the pressure on fare increases is reduced, the ferries are on time more often, and passengers are much happier.
So far, no Northern Route ferry to Prince Rupert nor the ferry to Port Hardy are scheduled to be replaced, but the ferry world is changing - so watch for any chatter and ferry updates on the spectacular Norther Route
Thank you BC Ferries !