Cape May-Lewes Ferry Adds $2 Fuel Surcharge

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is adding a $2 per vehicle surcharge to help defray the rising cost of fuel for the vessel, which operates between the southern tip of New Jersey and Lewes, Del.

The surcharge begins April 1, and applies only to vehicles; it is not assessed per passenger.

“Fuel prices have increased significantly for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry in recent years,” said Heath Gehrke, the authority's director of ferry operations. “The surcharge is tied directly to the price of fuel and the ferry will continue to absorb a portion of the increase in fuel costs, thus sharing the impact of these increased costs with our customers.”

The Delaware River and Bay Authority will review its fuel prices each month to determine whether the surcharge will continue. For now, it will be in effect for the entire month of April.

The authority authorized the ferry to institute the surcharge in Feb. 2009. It kicks in when the price the authority pays for marine diesel fuel rises faster than the trend over the preceding eight years.

“The fuel surcharge will not become a permanent part of fares, but will turn on and off as the price we pay for fuel increases and decreases,” Gehrke said. “If the price of fuel drops to below the benchmark, we will eliminate the fuel surcharge.”

The surcharge will be assessed when the customer makes a reservation or checks in at the toll booth.

Prior to the surcharge, the base one-way fare for an automobile and driver during the April to October period was $36, plus $10 for each passenger 14 and older. The fare is higher during summer weekends.