Drivers and walk-on passengers travelling on B.C. Ferries will see a slight increase in their fares starting Dec. 1, as the ferry corporation removes the fuel rebate on fares.
Citing rising fuel costs, B.C. Ferries will stop offering the 0.5 per cent rebate — 10 cents for an adult passenger and 30 cents for a vehicle on the major routes between Vancouver and the Island and five cents for an adult and 10 cents per vehicle on inter-island routes.
B.C. Ferries has been using fuel rebates and surcharges to manage volatility in the price of fuel, and says it does not benefit financially from the program. When fuel prices are lower, the company offers customers a fuel rebate, and when prices climb, it levies a fuel surcharge to cover the additional cost. There have also been periods with neither.
The only routes not affected by the rebate removal are those that serve Port Hardy, Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii, which use a different mechanism. The rebate of 1.5 per cent will remain for those routes until further notice.
B.C. Ferries is starting to reduce its consumption of fuel by using alternative, lower-cost fuels like liquefied natural gas. The company is also introducing battery-equipped ships designed for future full electric operation when shore charging infrastructure can be installed.
