BC Ferries requests doubled rate increase for summer season

The cost of a trip on BC ferries may soon rise by as much as 20 per cent on some routes because of the jump in fuel costs.

David Hahn, the president and CEO of BC Ferries, told CBC News the current formula determining fare hikes doesn’t take into account fuel cost increases, which jumped 35 per cent in the last quarter.

"This is something well beyond BC Ferries, I mean this is a global situation. I don't think it's something that BC Ferries hatched up."

BC Ferries has asked the British Columbia Ferry Commission to add the surcharge from the next quarter, in October, to the fare increase July 1.

On April 1, a four per cent increase was added to all southern routes. If approved, the latest boost would see fares raised by eight per cent on major routes and 20 per cent on some of the shorter routes.

The cost of a car and one adult to travel fromTsawwassen, near Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, near Victoria, will increase to $60.48 from $56.

On a shorter route, such as from Tsawwassen to the Gulf Islands, a fare for a car and one adult would increase to $43.02 from $35.85.

Hahn said even with the rate increase, profits at BC Ferries will not go up.

"We don't make any profit on this, it's pure cost pass-through and I think people have to accept it for what it is," Hahn said.

When asked if the rate increase at the start of the summer had anything to do with the busy tourist season ahead, Hahn replied, "I could argue it’s better because we do hit the tourists rather than having people later on in the year subsidize that tourist that was here."

Hahn also said the ferry commission could reduce fares if the cost of fuel drops in the future.

An announcement on the increase request is expected soon.