---
title: "BC NDP promises reserved ferry booking spaces for Sunshine Coast and Powell River residents"
description: "The BC NDP says it would set aside 12 per cent of advance booking space on two BC Ferries routes for people who live in ferry-dependent communities."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-ndp-bc-ferries-local-reservations-october-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-11T21:32:15.410Z"
---

The BC NDP says it would pilot a program that reserves part of the advance booking space on two BC Ferries routes for people who live in those communities, if the party wins the October 24 provincial election.

Premier [David Eby](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/david-eby) announced the proposal over the weekend. According to Daily Hive Vancouver, the plan would hold 12 per cent of advance booking space for residents on the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale and Powell River-Comox routes. Daily Hive reported that 10 per cent of that space would be held for locals until four days before departure, and a further 2 per cent would stay reserved until 24 hours before sailing. These percentages apply to available advance reservation capacity, the article says, not to total ferry capacity.

The Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route connects Metro Vancouver with the Sunshine Coast. The Powell River-Comox route connects Westview terminal in Powell River with Comox on Vancouver Island.

[Randene Neill](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/randene-neill), the NDP candidate for Powell River-Sunshine Coast, said in the Daily Hive article that the change would help people who depend on ferries: "People who live here need to know they can get on a ferry when they need to, especially during busy travel periods."

Eby framed the proposal as a question of how ferry-dependent communities access basic services. Daily Hive quoted him saying: "Ferries are not a luxury for coastal communities, they are critical infrastructure. People rely on them for everything from medical appointments to seeing loved ones."

The NDP has not published a cost for the reservation program. The party describes it as a pilot project.

If you live on the Sunshine Coast or in Powell River and want to know what the parties are promising on ferry service, advance voting for the provincial election runs October 16 to 21. Voting day is October 24. Visit [/bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-ndp](/bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-ndp) to read about the party's full platform.

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