Traffic tie-ups in Halifax impacting bottom line: tour operator

When hitting the roads in the Halifax Regional Municipality, some motorists prepare for the worst.

“It can be a bit of a pain depending on the time of day you come,” said Bedford resident Michael Murray.

Road closures, accidents and construction all play a part in the congestion.

“We’re starting to see some gridlock in the downtown core to an extent we haven’t ever really seen before,” says tour operator Dennis Campbell.

Campbell says that gridlock hit his company in a big way last week.

“We had several buses that were on their way to Peggy’s Cove and, after an hour-and-a-half, they only made it to the Willow Tree intersection on Quinpool Road and the passengers were not happy,” said Campbell.

The annoyed tourists demanded a refund and to immediately go back to their ship.

“It’s never fun to have to issue a refund and this was thousands of dollars that we had to refund, but more importantly than that is the experience that the visitors had. They don’t leave Halifax with a good opinion,” said Campbell.

Transportation professor Asham Habib says governments must act now for both visitors and locals.

“We need some more systematic plans in place to accommodate all these growing pains,” he said.

Habib says the most sustainable solution to the traffic problem is a convenient and reliable transit system.

“There’s no magic bullet to bring all people to the public transit. It’s just that we need to offer better alternatives for their travel from point A to point B,” he said. “If it becomes a priority for the city, I think that will not only solve current problems, but will also address the future problems.”

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