Times Colonist
Foot passengers travelling on B.C. Ferries between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island can now be assured of a spot on the vessel and a faster check-in by booking online.
Effective immediately, foot passengers travelling between Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay and the Island can book online at no extra cost and redeem their tickets at a self-serve kiosk or from a ticket agent at the terminal.
Seniors and students who use the online service must check in with an agent, as they will be required to prove they are entitled to the discount fare.
B.C. Ferries said the online booking service will limit the number of available purchases as the system kicks into gear, which could mean the website will say there are no foot passenger bookings available when there is still space available.
Travellers can still purchase a foot-passenger ticket without booking in advance.
Meanwhile, B.C. Ferries’ third hybrid electric vessel is now in the Pacific Ocean and expected to arrive in Canadian waters in late July. Island 3 — its temporary name — passed through the Panama Canal this week, having left Romania May 19 under its own power.
Damen Shipyards in Romania has been building six Island-class vessels for B.C. Ferries.
Two of them are already in service on the Powell River-Texada Island route and the Port McNeill-Alert Bay-Sointula Island route. A fourth vessel, which left Romania June 8, was forced to stop for repairs in Spain last week after it developed a problem with one of its thrusters.
The Island-class ferries are hybrid diesel-electric vessels designed for full electric operation.
They can carry 47 vehicles and are double-ended for easy loading and unloading. The ferries also feature wide vehicle lanes, dedicated pedestrian paths and bicycle parking spaces.
Island 3 and Island 4 will be named later this year at a ceremony in Victoria.
The two vessels are expected to go into service on the Campbell River-Quadra Island route starting in 2022.
