TSIIGEHTCHIC/ARCTIC RED RIVER - Some Tsiigehtchic residents are fed up with the lack of a ferry schedule at the Mackenzie River crossing that links their community to the Dempster Highway.

"I would find the system much more effective if you knew what time it was leaving so you could plan your trip," said Tsiigehtchic resident Itai Katz.

Load and go? Tsiigehtchic residents have complained they are missing appointments in Inuvik because of the ferry service. They want to see it run on a schedule instead of on demand. - Brodie Thomas/NNSL photo

"But my main concern is the waste of money, especially when you look at all the budget cuts that they're talking about."

He is just one of many who has voiced concerns about wait times for the ferry. He would like to see the ferry leave each landing at a predetermined time on the hour.

"There are 40 per cent more trips per day when it's running on demand. Many of those trips there is only one vehicle on the ferry," said Katz.

Katz believes that putting the ferry back on scheduled crossings instead of operating on a load-and-go basis would mean fewer trips and less fuel consumption.

Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko raised the issue in the legislature in June. Krutko asked then-Transportation Minister Norman Yakeleya why the government had switched to a load-and-go service in the first place.

Yakeleya replied that there had been complaints about the service when it was on a schedule, but he would consider changing it back if that is what Tsiigehtchic residents want.

Although some residents believe a scheduled crossing might be more reliable and efficient, the Department of Transportation's (DOT) regional superintendent Gurdev Jagpal said it is not that simple.

"If you run on a schedule you're going to be making empty trips. If somebody is not there we still have to make the trip. We won't be able to optimize our trips as needed," said Jagpal.

He said the ferry has always operated on a load-and-go basis, except for two seasons about 10 years ago when an attempt was made to follow a schedule.

Jagpal said the DOT gave up on scheduled crossings after receiving too many complaints.

He said the rational for load-and-go service is solid. There would be no fuel savings on a schedule because stopping and starting the ship's engines throughout the day is not an option.

"The engines would be running to maintain the ship against the current. Also the engines are very heavy. Shutting down and starting them causes lots of wear and tear. We have to keep them running," he said.

If the engines are going to be running anyway, Jagpal thinks it is better to keep the ship moving rather than have people waiting.

He also doesn't agree that having a schedule would allow people to plan their trips to arrive at the landing just in time to catch the ferry. Anyone who travels the Dempster regularly knows that conditions can vary with the weather and highway maintenance.

The DOT is addressing fuel consumption in other ways. The MV Louis Cardinal had new engines installed over the winter. Jagpal said the new engines will reduce fuel consumption by at least 15 percent, but he will not have an exact number until this season is over.