Post by EGfleet on May 10, 2007 17:18:59 GMT -8
Has anyone heard about this and did I just miss the thread? A friend of mine who lives in Vancouver pointed this out to me:
bowen-island-bc.com/forum/read.php?f=1&i=48662&t=48662
BC Ferries' Queen of Capilano refit debacle - Dear Mr. Hahn . . .
Author: Sumac
Date: 05-04-07 21:42
Date: May 4, 2007
To: David Hahn, President, BC Ferries
c.c.: Premier Gordon Campbell
Joan McIntyre, MLA for Bowen Island
Mayor Bob Turner & Council, Bowen Island Municipality
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Province
The North Shore Outlook
The North Shore News
The Undercurrent
The Bowen Forum
Re: BC Ferries' Queen of Capilano refit debacle
Dear Mr. Hahn,
We are long-term Bowen Island residents concerned about state of the Queen of Capilano (the Cap) on the Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island route. We consider this route an extension of the provincial road system, and expect it to be treated as would any other "bridge" in BC: to be well run and have issues and problems dealt with promptly, honestly and with safety paramount.
When the Cap went in for her annual refit, it was supposed to be for about six weeks, returning in early April '07. Instead she came back two weeks late, and your company's service to our community has been appalling ever since.
SUMMARY: We were without The Cap from early Feb '07 until April 25/07 for her annual refit. During this time, we experienced extreme overloads and frequent schedule disruptions while the Bowen Queen serviced the route. This due to the fact she holds approximately 15 cars per load less than the Cap, noting the Cap herself is normally overloaded on "rush hour" runs. Regardless, islanders bore the disruptions, cancellations and below par service with fortitude.
However, since the Cap returned on Apr 25, 2007, your service has been even worse! The Cap is slower, less manoeuverable and less fuel efficient than before the refit. For these reasons, she is now incapable of maintaining her schedule and more expensive to operate. There are only two sailings out of the 16 daily round trips where she is consistently on time: the very first one (5:35 a.m. leaving Bowen) and the very first one after the midday break (2:35 p.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay).
Because the Cap is late so often, BC Ferries is cancelling runs to try and make up the schedule which of course means waiting passengers end up on the following run, resulting in substantial inconvenience for them and continued overloads! And despite the lengthy - and delayed - refit, the Cap also came back on service with:
- the water system not certified for potability (so no coffee, tea or water are available),
- leaking faucets in the women's washroom (wasteful for a ship with limited water aboard),
- the elevator out of service (hardship for travellers with mobility issues), and
- the PA system not working properly (compromising passenger safety).
It is noteworthy that the Bowen Queen is reported to have fuel consumption one fifth that of the Cap even while being a faster - i.e. more timely - vessel. Also noteworthy is the retirement of the Cap's former Chief Engineer over management refit decisions.
REMINDERS: All our high school students must travel daily on the ferry to the mainland high schools as per BC Ministry of Education mandate, and they have experienced frequent delays and late times to and from schools since the start of the refit process in February '07. Islanders travel to the mainland to work, which means these commuters are spending much more time travelling as well as being late. And of course, islanders also must travel to specialist appointments on the mainland, so delays and cancelled runs adversely affect them.
CALLS TO ACTION: With the refit leaving the Cap unable to fulfill her obligations, we have these calls to action:
1. BC Ferries management to formally apologize to islanders and BC Ferries crews (both aboard and in the Terminal) for this debacle.
2. BC Ferries to immediately implement a new schedule reflecting the reality of the ship's limitations.
3. This new schedule to have no midday break. (See point 2 above.)
4. The last ferry back to Bowen to be at least 30 minutes later than the current 9:35 p.m. sailing. (See point 2 above.)
5. BC Ferries to decrease our fares (books of tickets) as compensation for this debacle and because our fares are currently inflated compared to other routes.
6. BC Ferries to not increase fares on this route for the next three (3) years.
FURTHERMORE:
7. BC Ferries to build a proper waiting room on Bowen Island because the existing one currently only holds about 30 people, when we often have as many as 250 to 300 foot passengers waiting outside the shelter spilling over into the vehicle travel area (for example, every 7:35 a.m. weekday sailing). And your company's argument of waiting for Bowen Island Municipal Council to finalize marshalling plans before building a proper waiting room, is both specious and tedious. The reality is your customers wait out in the weather within one meter of moving vehicles, because for the last 10 years BC Ferries management has decided it is acceptable to abrogate your responsibility of providing an adequate and safe passenger waiting area.
8. BC Ferries to install passageway(s) to safely allow foot passenger movement to the ferry dock on Bowen Island. Currently, there is only enough space for single file passage which is completely inadequate and only marginally safe during "regular runs", and less so during "rush hour" travel runs.
IN CLOSING, we await your timely actions on these eight items. Thank you.
Susan Maclaren and Alan Boysen
bowen-island-bc.com/forum/read.php?f=1&i=48662&t=48662
BC Ferries' Queen of Capilano refit debacle - Dear Mr. Hahn . . .
Author: Sumac
Date: 05-04-07 21:42
Date: May 4, 2007
To: David Hahn, President, BC Ferries
c.c.: Premier Gordon Campbell
Joan McIntyre, MLA for Bowen Island
Mayor Bob Turner & Council, Bowen Island Municipality
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Province
The North Shore Outlook
The North Shore News
The Undercurrent
The Bowen Forum
Re: BC Ferries' Queen of Capilano refit debacle
Dear Mr. Hahn,
We are long-term Bowen Island residents concerned about state of the Queen of Capilano (the Cap) on the Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island route. We consider this route an extension of the provincial road system, and expect it to be treated as would any other "bridge" in BC: to be well run and have issues and problems dealt with promptly, honestly and with safety paramount.
When the Cap went in for her annual refit, it was supposed to be for about six weeks, returning in early April '07. Instead she came back two weeks late, and your company's service to our community has been appalling ever since.
SUMMARY: We were without The Cap from early Feb '07 until April 25/07 for her annual refit. During this time, we experienced extreme overloads and frequent schedule disruptions while the Bowen Queen serviced the route. This due to the fact she holds approximately 15 cars per load less than the Cap, noting the Cap herself is normally overloaded on "rush hour" runs. Regardless, islanders bore the disruptions, cancellations and below par service with fortitude.
However, since the Cap returned on Apr 25, 2007, your service has been even worse! The Cap is slower, less manoeuverable and less fuel efficient than before the refit. For these reasons, she is now incapable of maintaining her schedule and more expensive to operate. There are only two sailings out of the 16 daily round trips where she is consistently on time: the very first one (5:35 a.m. leaving Bowen) and the very first one after the midday break (2:35 p.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay).
Because the Cap is late so often, BC Ferries is cancelling runs to try and make up the schedule which of course means waiting passengers end up on the following run, resulting in substantial inconvenience for them and continued overloads! And despite the lengthy - and delayed - refit, the Cap also came back on service with:
- the water system not certified for potability (so no coffee, tea or water are available),
- leaking faucets in the women's washroom (wasteful for a ship with limited water aboard),
- the elevator out of service (hardship for travellers with mobility issues), and
- the PA system not working properly (compromising passenger safety).
It is noteworthy that the Bowen Queen is reported to have fuel consumption one fifth that of the Cap even while being a faster - i.e. more timely - vessel. Also noteworthy is the retirement of the Cap's former Chief Engineer over management refit decisions.
REMINDERS: All our high school students must travel daily on the ferry to the mainland high schools as per BC Ministry of Education mandate, and they have experienced frequent delays and late times to and from schools since the start of the refit process in February '07. Islanders travel to the mainland to work, which means these commuters are spending much more time travelling as well as being late. And of course, islanders also must travel to specialist appointments on the mainland, so delays and cancelled runs adversely affect them.
CALLS TO ACTION: With the refit leaving the Cap unable to fulfill her obligations, we have these calls to action:
1. BC Ferries management to formally apologize to islanders and BC Ferries crews (both aboard and in the Terminal) for this debacle.
2. BC Ferries to immediately implement a new schedule reflecting the reality of the ship's limitations.
3. This new schedule to have no midday break. (See point 2 above.)
4. The last ferry back to Bowen to be at least 30 minutes later than the current 9:35 p.m. sailing. (See point 2 above.)
5. BC Ferries to decrease our fares (books of tickets) as compensation for this debacle and because our fares are currently inflated compared to other routes.
6. BC Ferries to not increase fares on this route for the next three (3) years.
FURTHERMORE:
7. BC Ferries to build a proper waiting room on Bowen Island because the existing one currently only holds about 30 people, when we often have as many as 250 to 300 foot passengers waiting outside the shelter spilling over into the vehicle travel area (for example, every 7:35 a.m. weekday sailing). And your company's argument of waiting for Bowen Island Municipal Council to finalize marshalling plans before building a proper waiting room, is both specious and tedious. The reality is your customers wait out in the weather within one meter of moving vehicles, because for the last 10 years BC Ferries management has decided it is acceptable to abrogate your responsibility of providing an adequate and safe passenger waiting area.
8. BC Ferries to install passageway(s) to safely allow foot passenger movement to the ferry dock on Bowen Island. Currently, there is only enough space for single file passage which is completely inadequate and only marginally safe during "regular runs", and less so during "rush hour" travel runs.
IN CLOSING, we await your timely actions on these eight items. Thank you.
Susan Maclaren and Alan Boysen