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Canada's BC Ferries has said that it will not be providing fuel rebates on its major routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island for the time being.

The news comes in the same week the company announced that it would be offering fuel rebates on its minor routes and the Horseshoe Bay – Langdale route.

Effective February 12, 2009, customers travelling on all of the 17 minor routes will receive a fuel rebate of five per cent on average. Customers travelling on the Horseshoe Bay – Langdale route will receive a fuel rebate of two per cent on average. These rebates will be applied to passenger and vehicle fare types.

“When we had to introduce fuel surcharges several years ago, we indicated that if the price of fuel came down that we would offer rebates and I am pleased to be in that position today,” said David L. Hahn, BC Ferries’ President and CEO. “With our comprehensive fuel hedging strategy in place, we don’t expect any fuel surcharges during this calendar year. In fact, we will revisit our costs again in late June and will hopefully announce an increase in the rebates.”

Commenting on its decision not to extend the rebate to major routes, the company said in a statement: "Due to negative balances in the fuel deferral accounts for the major routes connecting the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, BC Ferries is not in a position to offer fuel rebates on these routes at this time."