Canadians Semi-Pumped Up to Hit the Road

(James Mennie — The Gazette)

High gasoline prices were supposed to force Canadians to change their travel habits, and statistics made public this week suggest we are spending less on fuel.

But at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the impression is that while a road trip to the United States might cost Canadians more than last year, it's a price we're prepared to pay.

"There hasn't been any significant increase or decrease in the traffic that's been coming across the border," U.S. Customs spokesperson Ted Woo said. "Weekend traffic is busier and Mondays and Tuesdays it might lighten up.

"But whether it's a small (crossing) like Derby Line (in Vermont) or elsewhere, there's been no real change."

Woo's comments follow a report by Statistics Canada this week that shows even though the price of gasoline increased by 8.8 per cent from April to May, revenues from sales at the pump rose by only 2.4 per cent. That gap represents a nearly six-per-cent drop in the amount of fuel sold, some analysts have calculated.

That apparent frugality with fuel, however, might be manifested in the choices Canadians make about how to get to work, rather than where they vacation. Read the complete article.