BC Ferries announces small fare increase due to rising fuel prices

A BC Ferries vessel is seen arriving at Horseshoe Bay near West Vancouver on March 16, 2020. (Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Victoria -

British Columbia’s ferry service operator says rising fuel prices are about to hit travellers in the pocketbook – or rather pocket change.

BC Ferries says starting Aug. 1, a reduction in the company’s fuel rebate will raise the cost of an adult fare between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland by 10 cents. For a vehicle on the same route, drivers will have to cough up an additional 30 cents.

Along the inter-island routes, the ferry company says individual passenger prices will rise by a nickel while vehicle charges will increase by 20 cents.

BC Ferries has imposed fuel surcharges and rebates alternately over the past 17 years to manage fuel-price volatility. Currently the company offers a fuel rebate of 1.5 per cent on the cost of each ticket. That rebate will drop to 0.5 per cent on Aug. 1.

The ferry service said in a statement Thursday that current and future investments in hybrid-electric and natural gas-powered vessels will shield customers from volatility in the oil market.

“We now have five vessels operating on liquefied natural gas, a cleaner and less expensive fuel source than the ultra-low sulphur diesel we use for our other vessels,” said ferries president Mark Collins. “In addition, we have two hybrid electric ships in service and four more on the way.”

BC Ferries says the decreased fuel rebate will apply to all routes except for the Port Hardy-Prince Rupert, Prince Rupert-Haida Gwaii and Port Hardy-Central Coast routes. For these routes, the rebate will remain at 1.5 per cent until further notice.