B.C. Ferries has issued multiple one-year travel bans to aggressive and violent passengers, after three incidents in the last two weeks alone.
On Thursday, the corporation said in a news release that its employees have the right to a workplace that free from harassment and violence, and that by law, it is allowed to refuse passage on its vessels.
The most recent incident took place on Oct. 22, when a passenger sexually assaulted a crew member while on the Coastal Celebration on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route.
The week prior at the Langdale terminal in Gibsons, a passenger left their assigned lane and “aggressively” drove towards a staff member, forcing them to jump out of the way. At the Horseshoe Bay terminal in West Vancouver, a passenger threatened a staff member with the use of a gun.
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“The vast majority of our passengers treat our employees courteously. Abusive conduct or comments, or behaviours that put our employees or the public at risk, are not tolerated,” said Mark Collins, BC Ferries president and CEO, in the release.
“These behaviours result in a denial of service, travel ban and the involvement of police agencies.”
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