It will cost an extra $2.25 after March 31 for a car and driver on the major ferry routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. announced today.

The price for a vehicle will go from $45.00 to $46.75, while the price for each passenger goes up 50 cents from $13.50 to $14.00.

Ferry commissioner Martin Crilly announced Feb. 15 that the price caps for the ferry system would increase by 2.68 percent on the major routes and by 5.68 percent on all other routes, according to a calculation based on B.C.'s consumer price index.

The fare hike on the major routes was moderated slightly by a two percent fuel rebate. A complete list of fare changes can be found here.

Commercial rates are also going up on B.C. Ferries, a move trucking industry representatives say will cost jobs in their sector, the Nanaimo Daily News reported.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.