ST. JOHN’S — As Maritimers gathered to air their growing concerns about Marine Atlantic’s new reservation system, the ferry service announced it was receiving two new ships, courtesy of the federal government.

The feds will provide $175 million to Marine Atlantic over the next two years to help renew its fleet and shore facilities, and improve the quality and reliability of its services. The funding will allow Marine Atlantic to charter two vessels from the Stena Group of Companies to replace two aging vessels, the MV Caribou, and the MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood.

The Crown Corporation expects the new ships to significantly improve the ferry service and meet increasing traffic demand between North Sydney, N.S. and Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Chartering two modern vessels will significantly aid Marine Atlantic in improving its capacity and reliability,” said Wayne Follett, president and CEO of Marine Atlantic. “This can be attributed, in part, to the efficient design and the newness of the vessels. Once they join Marine Atlantic’s fleet, the average vessel age will be reduced from twenty-one years to eight years."

Minister of State (Transport) Rob Merrifield says since January, trucker traffic has increased by 15 percent on Marine Atlantic’s ferry service. While Marine Atlantic and the trucking industry have butted heads, Merrifield says the new vessels will increase capacity and be a boon for the industry, and truckers should be pleased with the improved service.

Improved service – or the lack of it – was on the minds of about 60 people who gathered in Newfoundland just days before the ferry announcement to discuss Marine Atlantic’s new reservation system.

The meeting was sponsored by Newfoundland Liberal MP Gerry Byrne, who has made headlines recently by accusing Marine Atlantic of ignoring its mandate to provide a transportation link connecting Newfoundland with mainland Canada.

In mid-March, Marine Atlantic launched its much-hyped reservation service for truckers to book space on the cargo ferry ahead of time and ended the first-come, first-sailed era.

But some truckers say that all the reservation does is move line-ups off the ferry’s property and others say they can’t book spots on crossings because they are full. Although when it comes time for the ferries to sail, there tends to be a number of commercial truck spots empty.

Some of the truckers at the forum last week called for the whole reservation system to be scrapped and after listening to those airing their concerns, Byrne says there might be a basis for legal action.

He says the Government of P.E.I. took the feds to court for failing to provide a "fair and reasonable" ferry service to the province and was awarded damages. Byrne says he believes the same can be done here.

— with files from CBC