BC Ferries is gearing up for the hundreds of thousands of passengers it expects to transport over the May long weekend with extra sailings and staff.
It said Monday (May 17) it’s recently hired 500 new employees and is aiming to reduce weekend waits with 110 additional sailings.
The majority of them will be devoted to BC Ferries’ busiest route between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay. There, 74 sailings have been added, including 6 a.m. trips on May 19, 20, 21 and 24.
Another 25 sailings will go to the Horseshoe Bay–Departure Bay route, and the remaining extra 11 will be used between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale.
Despite the additions, vehicle reservations for the main routes are almost entirely booked as of Tuesday. BC Ferries suggests that anyone who is able to travels at off-peak days and times.
It also recommends travellers carpool or walk on as passengers, if possible, and arrive early even if they have booked in advance.
BC Ferries said over the course of the weekend it expects to run about 2,400 sailings, transporting 300,000 passengers and 100,000 vehicles. It expects those passengers to consume around 20,000 burgers, 5,000 bowls of ice cream and 21,000 cups of coffee.
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