LEWES, Del. - The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is adding a $7 fuel surcharge for cars on each crossing as rising diesel prices increase operating costs.
The surcharge is expected to remain in effect through Dec. 31, according to the ferry. It applies to vehicles but not walk-on passengers, and the amount could change as fuel costs fluctuate.
The additional fee means a car making a round trip will incur $14 in fuel surcharges on top of the regular fare.
Ferry leaders say they were able to offset much of the financial impact of higher fuel prices this summer through fuel hedging contracts. But that contract is now expired and they say it now has to pass some of the added cost onto customers.
The Delaware River and Bay Authority Commission adopted a resolution in February 2009 allowing ferry management to apply a fuel surcharge to vehicles when the price the authority pays for marine diesel rises faster than the eight-year trend.
The last time the ferry implemented a fuel surcharge was in April 2022.
The surcharge comes after the ferry introduced a revised fare structure in June that included seasonal vehicle fare increases of $2 to $6, depending on the time of year, and a new pricing system that raises fares as reservations fill up.
Ferry officials say the surcharge only applies to cars only.
The new system increases vehicle prices at 50 percent, 75 percent and 90 percent vessel capacity. The revised fare structure was intended to help reduce the ferry's operating deficit while maintaining affordability for travelers.
Rising fuel costs have also affected other industries along the Delaware coast. Commercial fishermen were paying an average of $6.43 per gallon for diesel in the state, compared with about $3.65 at the same time last year, according to AAA. Some fishermen said the higher costs were cutting into profits and influencing how often they took their boats out.
The ferry encourages customers to review the final price displayed during the reservation process because published fares do not include the fuel surcharge.
Ferry officials said the surcharge will be removed if fuel prices return to previous levels.
