Busy travel days are here.
For anyone taking to the roads, Mainroad South Island Contracting general manager Rick Gill stressed that the seasonal rule calling for winter tires on the Malahat is in effect. As for driving conditions, he said they can change quickly, with as little as a few degrees variation in temperature.
The Malahat is one location, among others, to take note of while driving during the pre-Christmas weekend, Gill said.
“We’re anticipating some flurries over the period, freezing temperatures, kind of all the above,” he said.
“I think the higher elevations you’re probably going to see it, that’s what we’re hearing from our forecasting.
“So our recommendation is to be prepared to drive in winter conditions.”
That includes some basic, common-sense suggestions, Gill said.
“Be patient, don’t be in a rush and give yourself lots of time to get where you’re going,” he said. “We want everybody to be safe and enjoy the holidays.”
At B.C. Ferries, the heaviest pre-Christmas traffic will be on Saturday, said spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.
Busy post-Christmas times are expected Dec. 26 to 28 as people return from holiday visits, she said. Dec. 27 is expected to be the peak day for ferry travel during the holidays.
In response to the volume of travellers, B.C. Ferries has added 176 sailings, which started Thursday and run through Jan. 2.
“Basically the majority of those extra sailings are on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route,” Marshall said.
Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay will have 130 extra sailings and Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay will have 46.
“The other thing we’ve done is we’ve added some 6 a.m. sailings, as well as some 10 p.m. and some midnight sailings, on select days on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay run,” Marshall said.
Some of those are among 260 sailings being discounted over the holiday period to encourage people to travel at off-peak times, she said. Discounts can be up to 50 per cent for some vehicles.
Marshall suggested going to bcferries.com for more details.
“We really want to drive people to the web to check out the schedules because they do vary from day to day.”
Reservations are selling fast, but they are still available. Cost is $10 if bought seven or more days in advance, $17 if bought less than seven days in advance up to your travel day and $21 if bought on your travel day. Reservations can take up 40 to 70 per cent of space on a vessel depending on a number of factors.
James Bogusz, vice-president of operations and development at Victoria International Airport, said the flying public should be aware of a few important tips during this busy time of year.
“First and foremost, the big message we want to get out there is to make sure you give yourself plenty of time, so arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes before your flight,” he said. “All the lines are a bit longer.”
Thursday, Friday and Saturday figure to be the busiest days of the season, Bogusz said. He said that approximate security-screening wait times are available at victoriaairport.com.
He cautioned that wrapped gifts in carry-ons might need to be opened, so it’s better to put them in checked baggage or to not wrap them at all before your trip.
Bogusz pointed to a new Transport Canada prohibition on having more than 350 millilitres of powders in carry-on bags, which can include protein powder or bath products. “That is really new and it’s catching a lot of people off guard.”
