Alderney ferry repair delayed again as Halifax Transit tries to get parts

Halifax Transit is missing another deadline to get one of its harbour ferries back in service.

The agency says repairs to the steering system of the Vincent Coleman ferry are still incomplete despite previously saying the work would be done at the end of March.

That means ferry service between Halifax and downtown Dartmouth will operate every 30 minutes instead of the usual 15-minute schedule during peak time.

The ferry first went down in January after experiencing a steering system issue that needed specialized replacement parts, according to Halifax Transit.

“The delay was compounded due to the availability of these parts. While the initial parts had been received, further technical difficulties required additional replacement parts to be ordered,” Halifax Transit said in a Tuesday release.

It’s unknown when the ferry repairs will be completed, but Halifax Transit says it is working closely with an international supplier to secure the parts.

As well, the Craig Blake ferry is undergoing scheduled inspections and a “significant repair” and won’t be available for service until “later this year.”

The municipality has five ferries in total.

— with a file from The Canadian Press