New Marine Atlantic boat a good start, but more renewal needed: APTA

NORTH SYDNEY, NS — The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association hoping the newest Marine Atlantic vessel is the start of the complete replacement process for the entire ferry’s fleet.

"The trucking industry cannot stress how important this service is to the entire Atlantic Canadian economy," said APTA boss Peter Nelson.

The new ship, named the MV Atlantic Vision, has a capacity equivalent to 531 car lengths with 196 cabins and will carry a mixture of commercial and passenger vehicles.

Built in Germany in 2002, the vessel can travel up to 50 km/h. The extra capacity is said to be 50 percent more than Marine Atlantic’s ferries MV Caribou and MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood.

"Marine Atlantic needs a great deal of infrastructure renewal and funding both in terms of ships and dockside equipment," said Nelson.

He said recent delays caused by weather and equipment failure have shown the dramatic and rapid impact that can be had on the economy of Newfoundland and the rest of Atlantic Canada.

"We need to remember that when it becomes difficult and expensive for shippers, producers and manufacturers to move products to Newfoundland, this same group begins to rethink doing business in all of Atlantic Canada," he continued. "In congratulating Marine Atlantic on the commission of a new ferry we also would like to draw the attention of the provincial and federal governments to expanding infrastructure renewal needs to include Marine Atlantic."