Starting Friday, commuters and travellers passing through West Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal will be paying a little bit more for a ticket to ride.
As of Jan 17, the ferry corporation will be adding a 3.5 per cent fuel surcharge onto the cost of a ticket.
"We are well aware that implementing a fuel surcharge is unpopular with our customers, and we are doing everything we can to keep our fuel costs as low as possible, including building new ships with LNG capability," said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries' president and CE O. "We have waited as long as we can to implement a surcharge, however we must act now as it is clear that fuel prices are unlikely to decline in the foreseeable future."
For Bowen passengers, the surcharge amounts to an extra 35 cents for adults and 15 cents per child plus another $1.10 for vehicles and 55 cents for motorcycles.
Adults heading to Nanaimo or the Sunshine Coast will be dinged an extra 50 cents while children will be charged 25 cents. Motorcyclists will pay an extra 85 cents. Langdalebound cars will pay $1.70 more while Departure Baybound vehicles pay $1.75.
While the surcharge isn't exactly being greeted with open arms, ferry riders won't be putting up barricades at terminals, said Alison Morse, Bowen Island council and ferry advisory committee member. Surcharges have been built into the BC Ferries' cost structure and come into effect only when the cost of fuel rises above a set amount.
"It's an increase and it will have an impact on people and it's one of those things where the timing's not great because we're being told we're losing service at the same time they're wanting us to pay more," Morse said.
BC Ferries announced last month that the Bowen Island route would see some its daily runs cut.
After the fuel surcharge comes into effect, ferry riders can look forward to another general increase in fares, as approved by the ferry commissioner, starting on April 1. Ferries' management hasn't released how much fares on each route will go up by, but it should be in the nieghbourhood of four per cent, according to a company spokesman.
The climb ever upward isn't doing anything to make riding the ferry system any more appealing, Morse said.
"I think every little increase probably has some impact on people and they start to think a little bit more about 'Well, do I really need to make that trip?'" she said.
