BC Ferries fares are going up April 1. Here’s what’s changing

The Queen of Cowichan is seen in an image from the BC Ferries website.

Beginning next month, the price of a trip between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island will increase for those arriving at BC Ferries terminals without a reservation.

The provincial ferry operator announced the fare adjustments – which will take effect April 1 – earlier this week.

While the BC Ferries Commissioner approved a system-wide fare increase of 3.2 per cent for the current year, the company says it is taking a more targeted approach.

“Rather than applying a flat increase to all fares, BC Ferries is using this opportunity to make targeted adjustments that optimize capacity, balance costs across routes, and provide more ways for customers to save,” BC Ferries said in a statement.

“These changes are designed to encourage travel on sailings with more space available, helping to manage demand while keeping the system running efficiently. Customers who plan ahead and choose off-peak sailings will have more opportunities to save, while BC Ferries ensures that revenue adjustments support long-term service reliability.”

For the ferry service’s most popular routes between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island – such as Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay and Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay – the per-person fare will increase by 90 cents for those ages 12 and older, while the vehicle fare will rise by $7.60.

The cost of a full-price passenger fare on those routes will be $20 starting April 1, while the cost of a standard vehicle will be $75.

The changes apply only to drive-up travellers without reservations – approximately 25 per cent of BC Ferries' customer base. The remaining 75 per cent already uses Prepaid, Saver or Reservation-only fare options, the company said.

BC Ferries is also increasing the number of Saver fare spaces available by 30 per cent in an effort to encourage customers to book their space ahead of time and to travel on off-peak sailings, such as those in the early mornings, late evenings and midday on weekdays.

“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, the company’s chief financial officer, in the statement.

“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.”

While costs are not increasing for those who book ahead of time, the no-show fee for those who book a Prepaid or Saver fare and don’t travel on their booking is doubling, from $5 to $10.

That increase is intended to encourage people to cancel their bookings if they can’t travel, improving availability and reducing empty spaces.

Terminal parking fees and on-board food prices will also be rising starting April 1, BC Ferries said.

Even with the changes to spread out demand, the company said it has “little flexibility to redistribute travellers” across its existing fleet.

To deal with the issue in the long-term, BC Ferries has proposed building five new major vessels in what it says would be the largest capital investment in its history.

The company says the BC Ferry Commissioner’s decision on the proposal is expected to be made public March 31.

Read More: Are bigger, better vessels coming to BC Ferries? Why critics are questioning the proposal