Effective March 1, BC Ferries will add a fuel surcharge of one per cent to ticket prices to offset the rising price of fuel.
Overall cost increases will be 55 cents for a vehicle and 15 cents for adult foot passengers on the main Vancouver to Vancouver Island routes.
The surcharge will not be in effect for Port Hardy – Prince Rupert, Prince Rupert – Haida Gwaii and Port Hardy – or Central Coast routes. Instead, the 1.5 per cent fuel rebate will be removed.
BC Ferries says surcharges and rebates are used intermittently to offset fluctuations in fuel costs. The company has been instituting rebates and surcharges over the last 17 years. A fuel rebate was in place on the Vancouver – Vancouver Island routes for much of the pandemic but was removed on Nov. 3, 2021. That rebate amounted to 10 cents for foot passengers and 30 cents for a vehicle.
Mark Collins, president and CEO of BC Ferries said at the most recent annual general meeting that fuel is one of the largest expenses for the company. BC Ferries is working on electrifying their fleet and aims to bring on 12 to 14 fully electric vessels by 2032.
For the larger vessels that service Vancouver to Vancouver Island routes, the company is looking at alternative fuel sources like liquified natural gas instead of diesel as electrification of the larger vessels is not possible with current battery technology.
READ MORE: BC Ferries aims to have 12-14 fully electric vessels by 2032
@SchislerCole
cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca
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