A commercial vehicle made an unauthorized turn on the Horseshoe Bay terminal’s transfer deck earlier today. Because of the vehicle’s weight, a maintenance team from BC Ferries is now checking the deck to make sure it’s safe to use.
In an email response to an inquiry from Coast Reporter, BC Ferries wrote, “this is just a precaution, but safety always comes first.”
BC Ferries is reviewing CCTV footage and conducting an internal review to understand exactly what happened and to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
For the rest of the evening, all sailings from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay will use main deck loading. Due to Transport Canada regulations, passengers will need to leave their vehicles during the crossing when parked on the main deck.
According to witnesses at the Langdale/Horshoe Bay terminals, the incident is also affecting loading on Route 3, with vessels leaving with their upper decks empty.
Customers who need to stay in their vehicles during the sailing may want to consider travelling via Tsawwassen to Duke Point as an alternative.
Terminal staff are available to assist passengers and BC Ferries will share updates if anything changes. Travellers can check the BC Ferries website and social media for the latest information.
Also, in response to an inquiry from Coast Reporter regarding reports of three-quarter-ton trucks not being allowed to load on the upper deck of the Queen of Coquitlam, BC Ferries said it is the height limitation of the vessel, which determines whether a vehicle is loaded on the upper or lower car deck, not the size.
They added, height limit for both the Queen of Coquitlam and Queen of Surrey is 6’11." Other major vessels within the fleet have a height limit of between 7' and 9' 4."
