A large-scale convoy blocked traffic in downtown and east Regina Thursday afternoon, as some drivers sat in their vehicles for well over an hour.
More than 700 semis, trucks and other vehicles honked their way through the Queen City as part of the Regina Rally Against the Carbon Tax. Major traffic delays were expected.
With road closures and officers at every intersection along the way, drivers had to get creative navigating their way through the city.
“We had eight orders come in that were stuck with three drivers, so everybody is going to get their food late,” said Birju Patel, the owner of a local delivery company called Deliverr. “The drivers are stuck from 20 minutes and it’s expected to be there for an hour at least. That has caused a huge inconvenience to our drivers.”
Traffic delays started around 10:30 a.m. as the parade of vehicles honked their way down Arcola Avenue before crossing Victoria Avenue and continuing west on Saskatchewan drive.
While some did their best to avoid the chaos, others found themselves right in the middle.
“With the detours and everything, I’ve been here an hour and a half — so I’m burning lots of gas at the higher price,” one driver said.
“I had to turn my car off a lot because I don’t want to waste my gas because of this stupid traffic. Honestly, this is ridiculous,” another driver said.
Even though frustrations were running high, Regina police are hailing the event a success. In a release, police say there were no injuries or property damage reported in association with Thursday’s rally.
There were, however, three medical emergency vehicles that had to cross the convoy path, as well as two police emergency responses. None had issues.
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