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BC Ferries in anticipating interruptions to service due to a combination of COVID cases, regular cold and flu season, winter storms and vaccination policies.
Unplanned service disruptions are possible on all routes, but particularly on inter-island routes over the coming months.
The transportation company said that there is no single factor driving their reduced crew availability, and the global shortage of professional mariners is making it difficult to hire replacement staff.
“Crewing is a complex, logistical task that considers the individual’s qualifications and the number of skilled mariners required for the various roles onboard each vessel, as well as where they live and work,” BC Ferries said in a statement.
“Regulations require these positions to be filled with the appropriate crew, or the vessel cannot sail. Even a small number of crew that are unavailable to sail can have a significant impact on service if replacements are challenging to find.”
BC Ferries added that they rely on staffing pools with crew members held in reserve, as well as cross training employees so they can deploy to other locations and overtime hours to fill gaps.
If none of those options are available, the company modifies service.
While a route may operate on a modified schedule, no route is expected to be suspended completely.
“BC Ferries thanks its customers for continuing to support the ferry system under these more trying times,” the statement continues. “The company acknowledges and thanks its employees for their willingness to work extra hours and move between positions to ensure the least number of sailings possible are affected.”
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