B.C. Ferries to drop fuel surcharge from fares

VICTORIA B.C. Ferries will drop its 1.5 per cent fuel surcharge today and says it is the result of a drop in fuel prices.

The surcharge was implemented June 1 of this year and meant a car and driver on B.C. Ferries’ busiest route — between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen — paid an extra $1.10 or a total of $75.80 one way, while walk-on passengers paid $17.45, an increase of 25 cents.

The surcharge on most of B.C. Ferries’ inter-island routes was 15 cents for an adult and 45 cents for a vehicle.

B.C. Ferries said it closely monitors the cost of fuel and applies rebates and surcharges under a regulatory process that is independent of fares.

When fuel prices are low, it passes savings on through a rebate and when they’re high, a surcharge is applied.

The last rebate lasted from 2015 to 2018.

“The recent decrease in the price of fuel allows us to eliminate the fuel surcharges, which is great news for travellers,” said Alana Gallagher, B.C. Ferries’ chief financial officer. “We understand that affordability is important to our customers and every bit helps.”

B.C. Ferries now has five vessels operating on liquefied natural gas, which is a cleaner and less expensive fuel than ultra-low sulphur diesel. The company will also soon add two electric battery hybrid vessels to the fleet.

Those hybrid vessels will enter service next year on the routes between Powell River and Texada Island and between Port McNeill, Alert Bay and Sointula.

Four additional electric battery hybrid ships will go into service in 2022.