Marine Atlantic Raises Rates Amidst Service Delays

DIEPPE, NB. — Marine Atlantic is raising rates by four percent for all traffic, a hike that comes at a particularly bad time, the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA) said in a statement yesterday.

Winds have caused major delays over the last few months, slowing delivery to Newfoundland and prompting one observer to refer to the docks as “one big tractor-trailer parking lot.”

“We are always under the microscope for service in our industry and going to Newfoundland we have to rely on ferry systems. Lately, service from Marine Atlantic has been less than favourable causing major delays in delivery of goods, not to mention the strain on the customer/carrier relationships”, said Jean-Marc Picard, Executive Director.

“This increase comes at an especially bad time due to all of the service issues. We have trucks waiting for the ferry for days which translates to extra costs for the carriers. Therefore, it is very difficult to pass this increase onto the customers”, Picard said.

UPDATE: In an update sent this morning, the APTA said that while they intend to appeal the increase “our industry has no other choice but to pass on the increase to its customers. This increase represents approximately $3.5 million additional cost to transport goods to and from Newfoundland and Labrador, which our industry cannot absorb.”