BC Ferries adding 1.5% fuel surcharge to fares

Due to rising fuel costs, BC Ferries will be charging its customers a 1.5 per cent surchargestarting June 1.

"Fuel is our second largest expense,"saidBC Ferries president and CEOMark Collinsin a statement.

"We know that the affordability of travel is important to our customers, and we will continue to take measures to reduce our fuel consumption further through the introduction of diesel electric battery hybrid vessels," he said.

The company said over the past 15 years, it has useda fuel rebate and surcharge system that manages the ups and downs of fuel prices. When fuel prices are low, savings are passed on to customers, and conversely when prices go up, a surcharge is added.

This is what will be added to existing fees:

• 25 cents for an adult and 85 cents for a vehicle on the Metro Vancouver-Vancouver Island routes.
• 15 cents for an adult and 45 cents for a vehicle on a variety of inter-island routes.

The Port Hardy-Prince Rupert, Prince Rupert-Haida Gwaii and Port Hardy-Central Coast routes are exempt from the surcharge because theyhave aseparate costing mechanism, according to BC Ferries.