BC Ferries’ seeing fewer vehicles, more passengers travelling over long weekend

More than 100,000 people have sailed between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island so far on what is historically BC Ferries’ busiest long weekend of the year.

In an update Sunday, the corporation says more than 53,600 passengers sailed on its three major routes throughout the day on Saturday, with the corporation seeing about a 5 per cent increase in volume compared with last year.

#BCFTravelTips
From Aug 3 – 8, we expect to welcome over 580k passengers & 210k vehicles on board.

If you have a booking, plan to arrive 45-60 mins before your sailing. If you don’t have a booking, consider travel at less busy times or walk on board to avoid waiting. (1/7) pic.twitter.com/k62u3n4Dx7

— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) July 31, 2023

More than 15,200 vehicles were also taken on the routes, a decrease of about 6.6 per cent.

Friday’s sailings paint a similar picture, with the corporation saying more than 52,800 people sailed on the routes.

More than 15,900 vehicles were also carried on the vessels.

In the same manner, this was an increase of about 2.6 per cent in passenger volume, and a decrease of more than 8.2 per cent in vehicles, compared with the previous year.

Related articles: 

• BC Ferries, ICBC urge patience as long weekend travel ramps up

• BC Ferries gears up for the long weekend with ‘travel tips’

• BC Ferries says it’s getting ready for the long weekend traffic

• BC Ferries’ website mishap ‘won’t be happening happen again’, transportation minister says

The corporation has been under added scrutiny in the weeks leading up to the B.C. Day long weekend as it has faced numerous challenges with both its vessels and communication.

In the weeks leading up to the weekend, BC Ferries warned customers about the anticipated volume the weekend would bring and encouraged people to book in advance.

The Canada Day long weekend was a chaotic situation for many trying to get between the mainland and Vancouver Island, in part because of the increased demand but also because one of BC Ferries’ vessels that was supposed to be back online wasn’t.

In terms of getting back to the Lower Mainland in the next few days, Monday and Tuesday morning are typically the busiest.

Listen live for the CityNews Ferry Report every :09 past the hour between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays. You can also follow us on Twitter and subscribe to breaking news alerts for the latest.

With files from Liza Yuzda and Hana Mae Nassar