B.C. Ferries bans smoking, staying in cars on lower decks
Passengers, crew to butt out in January to adhere to new provincial regulations
The days of taking a smoke break on the outdoor deck of a B.C. ferry will soon be over. On Jan. 22, all B.C. Ferries properties, including vessels and terminals, will become smoke-free.
Last September, the B.C. government amended regulations for nosmoking buffer zones around any doorway, intake or open window to any public facility or workplace from three to six metres.
The ferry corporation says that due to physical space limitations, the new rules mean all vessels must become smoke-free.
The company, which has also launched a comprehensive employee smoking-cessation program, says it’s choosing to introduce a smoke-free environment at its other operations to support the health and wellness of passengers and employees.
“B.C. Ferries made the decision to provide a smoke-free environment for the travelling public and our employees on board our ships and at our terminals,” Mark Collins, B.C. Ferries president and CEO, said in a news release.
“This new policy supports the health and wellness of our customers and employees, as it helps control their exposure to second-hand smoke. We continue to focus on improving our customers’ experience, and providing the safest working environment for our crews.”
The policy will apply to tobacco, marijuana and e-cigarettes.
Meanwhile, in October, B.C. Ferries passengers will no longer be able to spend sailings inside their vehicles on any lower deck.
On larger vessels with both an upper and lower vehicle deck, customers will still be able to remain in their vehicles on the upper vehicle deck.
In a news release, B.C. Ferries says it’s making the change in order to “harmonize its safety practices with other Canadian ferry operators relating to Transport Canada regulations that prohibit passengers from remaining in their vehicle on any closed deck on a vessel that is underway.”
The company had been complying with Transport Canada rules by maintaining continuous cardeck patrols.
The vessels affected by the new car-deck rule generally operate on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen-Duke Point, Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay, Horseshoe Bay-Langdale, Powell RiverComox, Tsawwassen-Southern Gulf Islands, Port Hardy-Prince Rupert and Prince Rupert-Haida Gwaii routes. It also applies to the vessel that will operate the Port Hardy-Bella Coola route.