B.C. Ferries President David Hahn says recent fuel surcharges could be dropped next year, but don't hold your breath.
Speaking at the annual general meeting in Tsawwassen Wednesday night, David Hahn said fuel prices would have to stay where they are for several months before the surcharge would come off.
"Once we got the surcharge put in, fuel started to come down," he said. "By the time we take it off, the fuel might be going up... so I think it's more about smoothing it over time."
A fuel surcharge - the second of 2008 - was implemented August 1, and saw fares on the three major routes between the mainland and Vancouver Island rise by more than 10 per cent.
B.C. Ferries started tacking on fuel surcharges in 2005.
The company blames escalating fuel costs, which have almost doubled since 2003, as the reason for the surcharge.
On August 1, spokeswoman Deborah Marshall says its fuel costs have risen from $45 million five years ago to $140 million this fiscal year.
