Travelling on BC Ferries just got more expensive.
A 3.5 per cent fuel surcharge took effect Friday amid deep service cuts and rising fares.
The Crown Corporation announced the surcharge earlier this month, saying it needs to offset the rising costs of diesel fuel.
The new fee will cost an extra 40 cents for a foot passenger headed to the Gulf Islands, and an additional $3.42 to a family of four travelling by car between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
The B.C. New Democrats said the ferries are part of the highway system and the cost of travelling is becoming too high.
“People who use the highways, the businesses that use these highways, are being gauged. There’s no other explanation for it,” said Claire Trevena, the NDP MLA for North Island.
The surcharge is officially a temporary move but it may stay in place for a while. A recent update from BC Ferries Corp. CEO Mike Corrigan said “fuel prices are unlikely to decline in the foreseeable future.”
BC Ferries fares have risen for the last three consecutive years. Fares will be hiked another four per cent this April, and another 3.9 per cent in 2015.
