BC Ferries will be implementing a fuel surcharge starting June 1 to offset the rising costs of fuel.
The surcharge will amount to a 2.5 per cent increase on the three routes connecting Vancouver Island to the Lower Mainland and a five per cent increase on minor routes.
On the route from Saltery Bay to Earls Cove the increase will amount to an extra 65 cents per adult for a total of $13.80 before Experience Card, and 30 cents per child for a total of $6.90. An extra $2.20 per passenger vehicle will amount to a total of $46.25. Motorcycles will cost an extra $1.10 for a total of $23.15.
Travelling between Powell River and Texada Island will cost an extra 45 cents per adult passenger for a total cost of $9.95 without an Experience Card. An extra 20 cents per child will be added for a total of $4.95. For passenger vehicles an extra $1.10 will amount to a total of $23.70. Motorcycles will cost an extra 55 cents for a total of $11.85.
For the route serving Powell River and Comox the surcharge will amount to an extra 65 cents per adult for a total of $13.75 without an Experience Card. Thirty cents extra will be charged per child for a total of $6.85 and $2.05 will be added per passenger vehicle for a total of $43.50. The change will also add another 15 cents per foot for a bus and 21 cents per foot for a commercial vehicle. Motorcycles will cost an extra $1 for a total of $21.75.
There will not be any surcharges for the Horseshoe Bay to Langdale run at this time.
In other BC Ferries news, 39 passenger vehicles and 33 walk-on passengers were left behind in Little River for the 3:15 pm sailing on Sunday, May 15. The vessel was on a “B” operating licence at the time, meaning that the number of passengers who could be accommodated was limited by the number of staff, rather than the actual capacity of the vessel.
BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall said that a soccer tournament on Vancouver Island made for increased traffic they had not predicted. Marshall said they knew about the tournament but did not realize how many people would be travelling to the island for it. Three over-height vehicles and one commercial vehicle were also left behind.
Confusion over a cancelled sailing on Saturday, May 14 also left some passengers stranded who were not aware of the cancellation. BC Ferries announced on May 2 that the last round-trip sailing of the day would be cancelled in order to allow crew to deploy emergency evacuation equipment for regulatory and training purposes.
While the Peak reported the cancelled sailing on its website, no notification from BC Ferries appeared in the print version of the paper. Marshall said there were handouts provided at the booth advising passengers of the cancelled sailing but that it was perhaps an oversight to have not had an announcement in the Peak.
