A software developer in Victoria has developed a free app that displays the current BC Ferries schedules and capacity.
The app, called BC Ferry Times, is currently only available for the iPhone. Software developer Samuel Pratt says it is more user-friendly than the official BC Ferries website.
“(The website) is not particularly convenient because you have to enter the names of the terminals manually, although a drop-down list is easier,” he said.
BC Ferries has come under criticism in recent months for suddenly canceling trips due to staff shortages, resulting in trips being sporadic and available ferries quickly filling up.
“A lot of people thank me because they missed the ferry rush,” Pratt said, pointing to another free app that offered similar ferry information and was discontinued last November.
Pratt said he used the app himself. When it was discontinued, he contacted the developer, who gave him the code. Pratt then worked on it for a few months before releasing it to the public in the spring.
When BC Ferries recently redesigned its website, Pratt reworked the code to sync with website updates and incorporate the latest departures and capacity percentages so the app is constantly up to date for the user.
He said updating the app, which happens about every six months, is very time- and labor-intensive.
While the app is free, for an additional fee of $3.99, users can change the design, get directions to terminals, or customize the app to show only a specific terminal.
Pratt has already started working on an Android version of BC Ferry Times. He said he has also received a request to develop a similar app for Washington state ferries.
BC Ferries’ Deborah Marshall says the company will launch its own app by the end of the year, offering features such as personalization, express bookings and notifications.
