fbpx

St. John ferry fare increases

Two_ferries_1

The cost of the St. John ferry has gone up 50 cents. It could go higher.

The Port Authority has instituted a half-dollar per passenger charge as a cost for using the new Marine terminal.  The new charge is levied not by the ferry companies, but by the Port Authority, which manages the ports. That makes the cost of a ride $5.50. 

The move has incensed Sen. Carmen Wesselhoft, a St. John resident.  "We can no longer … allow the Port Authority … to use the residents of St. John as a cash cow for their lack of prudent management," Wesselhoft wrote in a Guest Opinion in the Virgin Islands Daily News.  She wants the Authority to allow an accounting of collected fees and "detailed information …, exactly how these revenues will be utilized."  Wesselhoft’s column.

But wait, there’s more! 

An attorney for one of the St. John ferry companies warned it may raise fares a dollar more.  Claudette Feron, an attorney for Varlack Ventures, told a Senate committee the ferry operators have sustained heavy financial losses for years but have not been given VI and federal government subsidies to which they are entitled.  If the money doesn’t come soon (‘soon come’?), she said, the companies will have to offset their costs by raising fares and ending discounts for commuters, students and senior citizens, the St. John Source reported. Full story.

4 thoughts on “St. John ferry fare increases”

  1. Carmen should also take a look at the Port Authority fees collected at the Customs dock on St. John. They have been collecting thousands of dollars EVERY DAY from the charter boats between 2pm and 5pm. We need to see some financial accountability to determine if the organization is running operationally efficient which I would doubt it is.

  2. There hasn’t been a schedule for the Cruz Bay to Charlotte Amalie route posted at the ferry dock in months. The last time there was one posted, it listed the times the boat was NOT running! Made no mention of when it was…go figure.
    I don’t ever recall a schedule posted at the downtown location, ever.
    Sometimes, you reap what you sow. Unfortunately, the ferry companies are allowed to pass on what they have cultivated to the rest of us.

  3. I’m a St. Thomian who used to come over to St. John at least once a month, just to spend a couple of hours shopping, or have lunch. It was $5 to park and $6 for the ferry. During the construction of the terminal it became just too much of a hassle to bother. And now? $10 to park and $11 for the ferry? I don’t think so. And have you noticed the empty parking lot at the terminal since it reopened with the new increased fee?

  4. Frank Barnako – you’re “soon come” reference made me laugh! We were wondering about that ourselves!! Thanks for the laugh.

Leave a Comment