Americas News
MP Decries Ferry Fare Discounts Over Lowering Fuel Surcharges
Newfoundland member of parliament (MP) Gerry Byrne of Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte has criticised a ferry service for instituting discount campaigns on fares instead of lowering the overall fuel surcharge for each customer, Canadian media reports.
According to Byrne, Newfoundland-based Marine Atlantic, which operates a service between the province and Nova Scotia, had declared such strategies "inappropriate" in a review a decade ago.
"They're one-offing discounts, targeting special groups or special customers and special times of the year, as opposed to providing an overall discount to the service," said Byrne.
However, more temporary discounts are slated to take effect in the coming months as the company attempts to figure out new pricing structures, according to Marine Atlantic.
Fuel surcharges are also likely to increase in the coming months as the company switches from fuel oil bunkers to marine diesel.
"Right now it's a blessing that oil prices are where they are," said Marine Atlantic spokesman Darrell Mercer.
The company reportedly announced recently that a month-long discount fare campaign had led to a 200 percent increase in bookings compared to the same time last year.
Earlier this month another Canadian ferry service announced that it would soon be taking delivery of a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) ferry which will operate on the St. Lawrence seaway.
