BC Ferries fuel surcharge coming June 1

BC Ferries customers will be digging a little deeper in their pockets this summer, after the Crown corporation announced it was rolling out a fuel surcharge on June 1.

The surcharge will hike rates on the three major routes by 2.5 per cent or about $1 per passenger vehicle, and on minor routes by five per cent, or $0.55 to $3.05 depending on the route.

But the surcharge will not be applied to three routes: Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, or Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii, a statement issued by the corporation on Monday said. It did not explain why.

Even though BC Ferries has reduced its overall fuel consumption by four per cent over the last eight years, the total cost of the fuel it uses has skyrocketed from $45.9 million in 2003 to an estimated $120 million in 2011, according to the statement.

The fuel surcharges are subject the approval of the B.C. Utilities Commission, which controls ferry fares in B.C., and are intended to be revenue neutral.

BC Ferries added fuel surcharges in 2008, but gave customers a fuel rebate when fuel prices fell in 2009, and 2010.

BC Ferries is also seeking to hike its regular rates by more than 37 per cent on northern and minor routes and nearly 18 per cent on major routes over a four year period, starting in April 2012.

A final decision on that increase from the commission is due in September.