VICTORIA — BC Ferries has had its second fuel surcharge approved by the Ferry Commissioner.

Effective February 1, 2006, a fuel surcharge of 1.5 percent for major routes connecting Vancouver Island to the Lower Mainland and 3 percent on all other routes will be applied to all fares.

The surcharge is on top of the fuel surcharge of 4 percent on island/mainland routes and 6 percent on all other routes, which was implemented on July 25, 2005.

In his ruling, the commissioner notes that fuel prices in the second half of 2005 were significantly higher than forecast when BC Ferries’ initial fuel surcharge was implemented, and that current forecasts warrant the new fuel surcharge.

He also gave BC Ferries a fuel conservation target to reduce the actual volume of fuel consumption by one percent a year for the next two fiscal years. The ferry says it’s continuing to implement a wide variety of fuel savings measures, including installing new, more fuel-efficient engines on some of its vessels.

The commissioner will rule on an additional fuel surcharge effective June 2006 if actual and forecast fuel prices remain unchanged from the current forecast.