Or use smaller boats and keep the regular schedule?
Why would customers agree for the last sailing to be at 3:15 pm???

Well I think this response is a thumb on the nose to people who depend on the ferries. There are a great many people who live and work mid island and north and depend on the later runs. Does your day end at 3:15pm? Mine does not! That will then further clog the runs in and out of Departure Bay in Nanaimo. Way to go BC Ferries.
Why not run some ships without the restaurant and store for starters? Not paying for those supplies and staff would help reduce costs as well! Cut the frills. A two hour trip will not mean people are dropping from lack of food!
Hard to believe the response is to cut runs like this.
Oh! Forgive me, we are talking about BC Ferries! It is NOT hard to believe they responded in this fashion!

BCFerries had sold off most of their old boats and now had fewer to do the same number of crossings. Great suggestions to use a smaller boat and have more sailings but where are these ships coming from? I think they have done the best with what old equipment they have, given all the interference by the provincial government. Remember Clark was the push for the fast cats, which cost us dearly. Provincial govt. pushes the Ferries to advertise their "cruse line". Let the Ferries purchase more boats and keep the meddlers away.