Stena Line starts fuel surcharge

The firm said it could no longer absorb fuel costs without charging users more

Ferry firm Stena Line is introducing a fuel surcharge on some of its routes to cope with its rising fuel bills, the BBC has learned.

Customers on Irish Sea routes will pay an extra £10 per car for a single trip, while coaches face a £30 surcharge.

The charges apply to newly booked journeys from 16 June.

The move follows fast-ferry operator SpeedFerries introducing a charge. P&O says it hopes to absorb costs by encouraging customers to spend more.

Fuel surcharges are a long-standing feature of air travel, but it is the first time that ferry passengers have faced such charges.

'Beyond our control'

Stena Line - whose five Irish Sea routes include Rosslare to Fishguard, Dublin to Holyhead and Belfast to Stranraer - said that the move was "inevitable".

This situation is beyond our control Paul Grant, Stena Line

The Dutch part of the business, which operates services between Harwich and the Hook of Holland, was considering its position on surcharges, the company added.

"In recent months Stena Line has been closely monitoring the escalating price of fuel and the effect the constant price rises are having on our day to day business," said Paul Grant, the firm's head of travel market on the Irish Sea.

"As a company we have been making a number of operational changes in our effort to shield our customers from the full extent of the massive rise in fuel costs, but it has now become impossible for us to continue to do so. Regretfully this situation is beyond our control."

The surcharge fee for motorcycles and adult foot passengers will be £2, while tickets for a child foot passenger will cost an extra pound.

P&O, which operates on routes including Dover to Calais, said that while a surcharge was already paid on freight, it hoped to shield customers by encouraging them to splash out on-board in shops and restaurants.

Last month DFDS Seaways said it would scrap its service from Newcastle to Norway in September - blaming soaring oil prices and the economic downturn.