FILE PHOTO
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/RCMP
May 19, 2021 - 2:57 PM
As the Victoria Day long weekend approaches, RCMP in B.C. are planning to increase their COVID-19 road checks to deter non-essential travel.
The increase is a response to an expected increase of travel over the long weekend and officers will be stationed at four locations to enforce travel restrictions, according to a release from the BC Highway Patrol (formerly B.C. RCMP Traffic Services).
"While the public has been supportive of our officers at the checks, we know that more people are typically on our roads and highways on long weekends," B.C. Highway Patrol Supt. Holly Turton said in the release. "We would like all travellers to know that we will be increasing the number and duration of the road checks leading up to, and through this long weekend."
The first weekend of checks, from May 6 to 8, 1,412 vehicles were checked with one driver who voluntary turned around, RCMP said. From May 14 to 16, 2,069 were checked and 30 drivers turned around voluntarily.
"Over the past two weeks police have established rotating checks at four locations. While overall traffic volume has been less than normal levels, we did see an increase in traffic this past weekend," Turton said.
The RCMP road checks will at Highway 1 near Boston Bar, Highway 3 near Manning Park, Highway 5 at the old toll booth and Highway 99 near Lillooet.
Police remind drivers to avoid non-essential travel between the three regions established by the provincial health authorities, keeping travellers from moving between the Northern and Interior regions to and from the Lower Mainland.
There are also restrictions on travel to and from Vancouver Island for non-essential reasons.
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