Ferry travellers between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland are being advised to arrive early Monday as holiday traffic continues to delay reservations.
The Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route is expected to be among the busiest Monday as the long weekend draws to a close. The first sailing of the day filled up at 6 a.m., a full hour before departure.
BC Ferries spokesperson Astrid Braunschmidt told CTV News that foot passengers are advised to arrive 45 to 60 minutes early for their sailing. Drivers with vehicle reservations should arrive between 30 and 60 minutes early.
"Historically the Monday of the Easter long weekend is one of the most popular travel days," Braunschmidt said Monday.
Over the weekend, BC Ferries spokesperson Astrid Braunschmidt told CTV News the company was taking "additional measures to improve the flow of traffic" to get passengers home.
BC Ferries couldn't confirm how many people were forced to miss their weekend reservation because of long waits, but said it would be offering refunds to anyone affected.
"Those passengers who, due to traffic volumes, could not claim their reservation for their chosen sailing are encouraged to contact our Customer Relations team for reimbursement," Braunschmidt said in an email Saturday.
The company brought in extra staff and scheduled an extra 89 sailings for the Easter long weekend, but still struggled to keep up with the huge crowds.
Traffic numbers for the weekend aren't available yet, but some 25,000 passengers travelled through the Tsawwassen terminal on Friday alone.
Braunschmidt said BC Ferries will be reviewing how it handled the extra volume and look for possible improvements to implement going forward
