Maritime gas prices ride high as road trip season shifts into new gear
Gas prices at over two dollars a litre may be too much for some drivers to ignore this summer.
A pair of surveys suggest Canadians will compare any road trip ideas with rising fuel costs, and curb some travel plans as a result.
"That two dollar a litre mark really is the price where people start to think differently about their road trips," says Kaitlynn Furse of the Canadian Automobile Association.
While some Maritime drivers are leveling their travel expectations on this first official weekend of summer, others expect to keep their foot on the pedal.
However, it may be a different pedal.
Pierrettee and Roger Doiron of Saint John are planning a trip to Prince Edward Island next week, but are gauging how to keep the transportation costs on budget
"It’s a lot of money, two dollars a litre," says Pierrettee. "So we have to think about the cheapest way to go."
That may include switching their regular wheels to a couple of tour bikes.
"It gets much better fuel mileage than say a car or something," says Roger. "The problem with that is if the weather is bad we’ll have to go spend more money on a car."
No matter the vehicle driven, it will be difficult for drivers to detour paying more.
For example, a road trip from Moncton to Montreal this summer, depending on the size of vehicle, may have drivers spending about $300 more compared to previous years.
Travel restrictions at the height of the pandemic familiarized people with "staycation" attractions nearby. For some, that appears to be a good option for limiting fuel consumption this summer too.
"I plan on staying in the province," says Vonda Johnson. "I won’t be travelling outside the province. New Brunswick is a beautiful place. When we were in lockdown I saw places I didn’t even know existed in my own home province."
Tips from CAA to avoid undue fuel costs include turning off the ignition for any wait longer than a stoplight, using cruise control when possible, and remembering the fuel economy for many vehicles peak at speeds of between 80-90 km/h.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.