P&O Ferries announces fuel charge rise |  | | | 23 July 2008 | | Source: Kent Online | P&O Ferries has announced a 60 per cent increase in its fuel surcharge.
The company blames the "substantial and sustained rise of the cost of fuel" for its decision to increase its surcharge from £6.10 to £9.80 on its Dover to Calais route.
But the announcement comes the day after some supermarkets cut the cost of petrol at the pumps, because of falling fuel prices.
Ronald Daelman, P&O Ferries Freight director, said the cost of fuel had left the company with no choice but to adjust the level of its surcharge to 120 dollars per barrel, which is still below the Brent crude price of 130 dollars.
"However, by fixing the level of surcharge for three months at the time, P&O Ferries attempts to give its clients some stability in the pricing structure and given that our review is always in arrear, P&O Ferries has absorbed a substantial proportion of the extra cost," he said.
"Whilst we recognise the severe pressure the whole of the transport industry is under, and cost increases are never welcome news, we trust that you will appreciate that P&O Ferries, through stringent control of its costs, continues to try and lessen the burden of these global fuel price increases on its clients as much as is possible."
The new surcharge came into effect this month and will be reviewed again in mid-September.
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