LEWES, Del. - The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is implementing a $7 fuel surcharge on all car fares per crossing.
The ferry said the surcharge is due to the rising price of fuel and the volatility in the fuel market. It's expected to remain in effect until Dec. 31.
The fare will not be applied to walk on passengers, only for cars. The ferry said the $7 amount may be adjusted in the future for changing fuel costs.
“Diesel fuel prices have risen significantly this year, and the Ferry was able to mitigate the majority of the fiscal impact on our operation this summer with hedging contracts,” said Heath Gehrke, Director of Ferry Operations. “With our fuel hedges expiring and no relief on the horizon, we had to make the tough decision to share some of the fuel cost increase with our customers.”
In February 2009, the Delaware River and Bay Authority Commission adopted Resolution 09-05, which allows the Cape May – Lewes Ferry management to apply a fuel surcharge on cars using the ferry service. The fuel surcharge is only applied when the price the DRBA pays for marine diesel fuel rises faster than the 8-year trend. The last time the Cape May – Lewes Ferry actually implemented a fuel surcharge was April of 2022.
Published fares do not include any applicable fuel surcharge, so the ferry encourages customers to review the final amount displayed during the reservation process before buying tickets. The ferry said if the price of fuel drops to the levels they were before, the fuel surcharge will be removed.
