New CBSA mobile site to ease border backups
Border backups are common during Thanksgiving weekends and officials are offering a new online tool in an effort to ease congestion.
The Canadian Border Services Agency is urging drivers to be prepared before travelling abroad by using its new mobile website.
It's equipped with wait times and a fee estimator, that allows you to get a glimpse of the taxes and duties you will pay if you get hauled into inspection.
On Thanksgiving Monday in 2011, traffic was up 32 per cent, according to the CBSA.
"It's quite significant for one day to be up those kinds of volumes," said Joe McMahon, CBSA Windsor tunnel director of operations. "We are prepared for travellers and we ask that travellers be prepared when they arrive at the border."
McMahon said traffic can be averted by avoiding peak times.
The CBSA puts an operational plan in place during holiday periods, he said.
"We know what our volumes are like and we also have staffing in place for those peak times," said McMahon.
Sometimes it's tough to forecast.
"We got hit with a little bit of a curve ball this weekend because the Detroit Tigers are now in the playoffs," said McMahon. "That will hit us on Saturday and Sunday, but we're prepared for that."
Roughly 50,000 vehicles came through both Windsor-Detroit border crossings last Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.
McMahon said international travellers on holiday weekends is up about 55 per cent in southwestern Ontario.
"We expect to be busy and we're prepared for that."
