BC Ferries might get even more expensive than it already is
As B.C. Ferries gears up for one of its busiest summers to date, passengers may have to pay a little extra to board a sailing.
On May 13, the ferry company warned that, if necessary, it might introduce a temporary fuel surcharge.
“We’re operating in an environment with continued volatility — including fuel prices, supply chain pressures and increasing demand across the transportation network — all of which add pressure to the system during peak periods,” said Shiryn Sayani, a senior communications adviser with BC Ferries, in an email to Daily Hive Urbanized.
In particular, the ferry company is closely monitoring the cost of fuel. Due to the war in Iran, global fuel prices have shot substantially in recent weeks, without a clear end in sight.
Other companies like Air Canada and WestJet have announced fuel surcharges in response to rising gas prices.
“BC Ferries can implement a temporary fuel surcharge to help offset those increases and ensure we can help manage significant fuel volatility while continuing to deliver safe and reliable service,” Sayani said.
She added that if BC Ferries did implement a surcharge, it would be temporary and communicated publicly in advance to give their customers time to prepare.
“We know any increase has an impact on customers and affordability matters, which is why these decisions are not made lightly,” she said.
Daily Hive Urbanized asked BC Ferries how much this fuel surcharge might be, but they didn’t have an answer.
“No decision has been made at this time, so we’re not in a position to confirm a specific amount or timing,” Sayani said.
The last time BC Ferries had a fuel surcharge was in 2022, another time period when global fuel prices increased significantly due to “market volatility and geopolitical pressures, including the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
At that time, the surcharge was an additional $0.45 for adults and $2 for a vehicle and driver on the Metro Vancouver to Vancouver Island routes.
Recent price increase
In April, BC Ferries implemented its most recent permanent price hikes, in line with the 3.2 per cent system-wide annual increase that began two years ago and is scheduled to continue until 2028.
Instead of applying a uniform increase across its services, it adjusted specific fare categories, which helps it optimize capacity, spread costs equitably across the network and encourage more off-peak travel — reducing congestion and delays during the busiest periods.
These fare changes started on April 8, and included:
- On major routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island:
- Standard vehicle + adult fare (drive-up or prepaid): $110
- Adult foot passenger: $21 (up $1)
- Child foot passenger: $10.50 (up $0.50)
- Saver fares are unchanged at $15 for adults and $7.50 for children
- On minor and northern routes, fare increases will range from:
- $0.95 to $2.05 for standard vehicles
- $0.40 to $0.60 for adult passengers
It also included an expansion of Saver fares, which are lower-priced options during time periods that often have more availability, like mid-week or early-morning.
In late 2024, Daily Hive Urbanized learned that, based on BC Ferries ‘ budget forecast from 2023, they are projecting a 30 per cent price increase to manage its operations and capital costs.
He suggested that the fare increase cost pressures might even be higher than 30 per cent if the budgetary forecast were updated, due to inflation.
With files from Daniel Chai and Kenneth Chan