BC Ferries has announced several cost-cutting promotions for passengers this fall on the heels of strong first-quarter results – but drivers expecting a massive discount could be in for a letdown.
Passengers travelling between Sept. 8 and Oct. 5 will be offered a 50 per cent discount on passenger fares for all major and minor routes from Monday to Thursday during off-peak times, the Crown corporation said in a news release.
The discount will also apply to some mid-day and evening sailings on Saturdays.
In addition, all fares on northern routes will be discounted by half from Oct. 1-31.
But the discount only applies to passenger fares, meaning drivers will still pay full price for their vehicles no matter when they travel.
For example, no discount will apply to the one-way standard vehicle fare of $55.40 for those travelling between Tsawassen and Swartz Bay.
BC Ferries currently charges a $16.90 passenger fare for people 12 and over travelling between Tsawassen and Swartz Bay, $8.45 for children age five to 11, while kids under five travel free.
Under the promotion, a family of four could be expected to save about $25.35 on the route.
The announcement follows first-quarter results that saw the company earn $18.8-million – a sharp jump from $13.9-million in the same period the year before.
Passenger traffic increased five per cent while vehicle traffic jumped 4.7 per cent over the year before.
“While we are uncertain how long this current growth in traffic will last, this promotion allows us an opportunity this fall to test variable pricing concepts in order to understand their impact on traffic trends, customer responses, and operations,” BC Ferries President and CEO Mike Corrigan said in a statement.
The CEO promised that the company will leverage their recent financial gains to keep upcoming fare increases at the rate of inflation, as well as maintain its $3-billion plan to replace aging ferries.
For more information and a full breakdown of the promotion, visit BC Ferries’ website.
