The Steamship Authority (SSA) is looking to improve its operations in response to a large number of vehicles not showing up for reservations.
“This is in response to concerns we received following large numbers of no-shows over Father’s Day weekend,” SSA spokesperson Sean Driscoll told The Times.
The no-shows created last-minute openings for vehicle space on the Vineyard route. To meet these issues, Driscoll said, several changes are being planned. One of these is developing a screen tool to show the number of feet available “based on current allocation for a vessel” that can give an easy visual representation for SSA staff.
“This is under development, so I don’t have more detail on how that will look at this point,” Driscoll said.
He added that implementation of the allocation is “reviewed on a daily, rolling basis and adjusted,” with these reviews being reported to the Steamship’s chief operation officer.
Driscoll also pointed to the revamped Blue Line, a resident-only standby line available on reservation days, as a way the SSA is trying to help customers on the Vineyard route.
“This is for both Martha’s Vineyard and Woods Hole terminals,” Driscoll said. “This program is available to customers eligible for the auto excursion fares or preferred spaces. Vehicles used for commercial purposes are not eligible for the Blue Line. The availability of the Blue Line may be suspended or halted at any time during the day, at the discretion of the agent on duty, due to trip cancellations or other unforeseen circumstances. The Blue Line does not guarantee the customer’s passage to the Island.”
I would like to suggest that the SSA might alter their reservation website to make it possible to cancel a reservation without changing it to another date. When plans change, sometimes you do not know when you will need to travel. Yes, you can call the reservation number and talk to an agent but that decreases the number of people who would make the notification.
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