Both BC Ferries and BC Hydro raised their rates on Saturday, and it was no April Fool’s joke.
Ferry users will be paying 1.9 per cent more to drive a vehicle onto the ferry between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen, Duke Point and Tsawwassen, and Departure Bay and Horsehoe Bay. A one-way ticket for a vehicle on those routes is now just over $57, including taxes.
Walk-on passengers won’t see higher fares on those routes, nor are there any increases on northern routes or between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale.
Meanwhile, BC Hydro also introduced new rates on Saturday with increases of 3.5 per cent.
The company says for most residential customers, the increase means an additional $3.75 per month on their bills. Yesterday, BC Hydro announced it was extending its winter payment plan until the end of April for those who received higher than normal bills because of the unseasonably cold winter across much of the South Coast.
This is the second year of a three-year rate adjustment plan at Hydro. Last year saw rates increase by 4 per cent and 2018 will see increases by 3 per cent.