BC Ferries is getting more expensive and here’s when prices go up
Peak travel season is just around the corner for BC Ferries, and fares are about to increase for passengers in several areas.
BC Ferries has announced that it will hike fares starting on April 1, 2025, in line with the 3.2 per cent system-wide annual increase that began last year.
Drive-up fares on the major routes will jump by $0.90 for an adult and $7.60 for a standard vehicle. On minor routes, drive-up fares will increase on average to approximately $0.25-$0.50 for an adult passenger and $0.70 to $2 for a standard vehicle.
According to BC Ferries, the “targeted adjustments” will optimize capacity, balance costs across service routes, and help find additional ways for customers to save rather than applying a flat increase to all fares.
BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay terminal (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
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“These changes are designed to encourage travel on sailings with more space available, helping to manage demand while keeping the system running efficiently,” said BC Ferries in a release.
“Customers who plan ahead and choose off-peak sailings will have more opportunities to save, while BC Ferries ensures that revenue adjustments support long-term service reliability.”
BC Ferries will increase no-show fees for Saver and Prepaid fares by $5 to $10 on routes between Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, Horseshoe Bay and the Sunshine Coast, and between Comox and Powell River.
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Drivers can look forward to a jump in parking rates based on market rates and location, and passengers can also expect a 3.5 per cent increase in the price of food and beverages onboard the vessels due to rising costs of ingredients, transportation, and operations.
“This adjustment is based on an annual review of market trends and cost pressures, with targeted price changes applied to specific menu items,” explained BC Ferries. “Customers can expect minor increases, for example ranging from $0.10 on a muffin to $0.90 on a BC Burger Combo, ensuring that BC Ferries continues to offer high-quality, competitively priced food and beverage options.”
To help passengers save, BC Ferries is increasing Saver fare spaces by 30 per cent to further encourage booking ahead and travelling during off-peak times. Foot passengers can also access Saver fares for $15 when they book ahead on routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Passengers travelling on BC Ferries are getting a multi-year reprieve from any major fare increases through March 2028. But that could change from the flip to the next fiscal year in April 2028.
BC Ferries CEO and president Nicolas Jimenz told Daily Hive Urbanized in November that based on the budgetary forecast made in 2023, a fare increase equivalent to about a 30 per cent hike is projected to be necessary in order for the ferry corporation to simply keep up and manage its operations and capital costs.
He suggested that the fare increase cost pressures could now be even higher than 30 per cent if the budgetary forecast were updated, given that cost inflation continued to be an issue over the past year.
Currently, fare increases require the final approval of the independent BC Ferries commissioner, which was previously approved in October 2023 for an average 3.2 per cent annual fare increase between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2028.
With files from Kenneth Chan