BC Ferries apologizes for rough start to Easter long weekend

BC Ferries is saying sorry after many customers experienced major delays Friday morning.

It was an especially frustrating experience for travellers at the Horseshoe Bay terminal, as some were stuck waiting for hours.

“We apologize. That’s not the level of service that we’re looking to deliver,” said Jeff Groot, executive director of communications.

“That was a level of volume that we weren’t expecting from people who didn’t have reservations.”

Groot says the delays were caused by an unexpected ferry maintenance issue.

1130 NewsRadio spoke to several listeners who were sharing just how jammed up it got in West Vancouver.

One caller, Sherry, says she was trying to catch a ferry to Langdale, but was turned away twice: once Thursday night and again Friday morning.

“I was trying to find a way to get out of there, and I ran into another woman who had a reservation for the 7:30 ferry [Friday] morning, but there was no way that they could get their vehicle up to the toll,” she said.

BC Ferries says it’s now bracing for another rush of travellers heading back to the Lower Mainland on Sunday and Monday.