It turns out BC Transit isn’t the only transportation that is about to get more expensive for those living in Greater Victoria.
BC Ferries has announced that they will be increasing their fees for fares, parking and food on board their vessels to better match demand and help cover rising operational costs.
The organization added that the decision to increase these costs is being done in the name of long-term stability.
Increased fares
Beginning on April 1st, BC Ferries will bump up the cost of fares by 3.2% in a “system-wide annual increase” that has been approved by the BC Ferries Commissioner.
However, they noted that instead of applying a flat increase to all fares, BC Ferries will apply the increases as targeted adjustments.
The plan is to use the price changes to encourage travel on sailings with more space available by providing cheaper rates, while subsequently making full and sought after sailings more expensive.
BC Ferries says that on the major routes, “drive-up fares” will increase by $0.90 for adults and $7.60 for standard vehicles.
To avoid this, customers can book their sailings in advance. According to BC Ferries, the “drive-up” fees will only apply to around 25% of customers.
For minor routes, drive-up fares will increase by approximately $0.25 to $0.50 for an adult passenger and $0.70 to $2.00 for a standard vehicle.
“These fare adjustments are consistent with the regulator-approved increases set before the start of Performance Term 6 (PT6) and are necessary to keep pace with rising costs,” said BC Ferries in a media release.
“Expanding flexible pricing and incentivizing off-peak travel helps reduce congestion and make better use of available space.”
Parking fee increases
BC Ferries is also increasing parking rates for terminal parking lots. The organization says these increases will be based on location, and aligned with market rates.
“This adjustment is necessary to keep pace with operating expenses and rising costs for lighting, security, snow removal, paving and general upkeep, while maintaining affordability for customers,” said BC Ferries.
BC Ferries noted that even with the coming adjustments, their parking rates are among the lowest compared to similar transportation organizations.
No-show fee increases
In an attempt to reduce the number of empty spaces on vessels, BC Ferries is upping their no-show fees for those who prepaid for their trip.
Fees for those who do not show up for their sailing will increase by $5 to $10, beginning on April 1st.
“This encourages passengers to cancel unwanted bookings in advance,” said BC Ferries.
“Customers can still change their sailing up to one hour before departure or cancel four or more days in advance for a $5 fee.”
The $10 fee will only apply to those who don’t cancel in time or who show up too late to make their sailing.
The no show fee change will apply to all sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, Horseshoe Bay and Sunshine Coast, as well as between Comox and Powell River.
Food and beverage cost increases
BC Ferries is also applying a 3.5% increase in food and beverage pricing to reflect 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,” said BC Ferries.
The organization says that the increases will be applied to be intentionally minor for their customers, giving the example of the cost of muffins rising by $0.10, or a burger combo being bumped up by $0.90.
BC Ferries has provided a specific pricing index for their food items that will be impacted by the increases.
More ‘Saver’ fares
BC Ferries says that in order to help their customers with affordability, they will be increasing their “Saver” spaces aboard some vessels by 30%.
Saver fares encourage customers to book off-peak times such as early in the morning or late at night, rather than midday.
These Saver fares will also be available for foot passengers, who will pay just $15 when they book in advance on routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
“We expect that the addition of 350,000 Saver fares will help spread out demand, distribute traffic and reduce congestion on our major routes, especially as we head into our busy peak summer season,” said Joanne Carpendale, Chief Financial Officer for BC Ferries.
“As we continue to face challenges with maintaining an aging fleet, we will continue to use every tool we have available to offer a broad range of fare options to better accommodate demand and meet customer expectations.”
Fleet expansion and maintenance
In addition to the fee increases, BC Ferries says that a massive decision will be announced at the end of March by the BC Ferries Commissioner.
The company is looking at potentially commissioning five brand new vessels and conducting major maintenance to expand the life of two of their ferries.
BC Ferries says that adding new vessels is critical for them to be able to meet the growing demand for travel on British Columbia’s coast.
