More kiosks, more staff and more space are being added to the two collision-reporting centres that opened in Edmonton in September 2022.
Accident Support Services International said Thursday the changes are being made to respond to the needs of Edmontonians.
“We had those three snowstorms right off the bat,” said Kumar Siva, ASSI’s chief operating officer. “It kind of had us revamp our process to how we handle the customers.”
Since opening, 19,000 motorists have reported a collision at the locations.
“We didn’t anticipate that volume to come through our doors,” Siva said. “We would have thought on average 50 or 60 a day… In one of those snowstorms we had upwards of 300 in one day.”
The Edmonton centres see an average of 80 drivers a day.
The ASSI is making wait times available online so drivers can check the wait for each centre before they arrive.
It is also streamlining the process for tow truck drivers by adding express towing lanes to allow tow trucks with non-drivable vehicles to be seen by ASSI staff as soon as possible.
When the centres opened, they had 25 employees between the two locations.
“We realized very quickly it’s not going to be enough to support the foot traffic,” Siva said.
Now, they have 65 staff.
Additional kiosks have been added to the south collision-reporting centre so more drivers can start their report rather than waiting for a staff member.
“This was a big change in how Edmontonians are used to dealing with collisions,” Siva said. “As with any new process, there is an adjustment period. In the months since opening, we heard from Edmontonians on how we can improve, and we’ve done an internal assessment to determine how we can continue to meet high demands and improve service delivery.”
Drivers can also help expedite the reporting process by having all the required documentation ready: driver’s licence, valid insurance and vehicle registration.
During bad weather, drivers don’t have to report collisions on the same day. They can wait until the weather improves, ASSI said.
One centre is located at 15750 – 116 Ave. in north Edmonton and the other is on the south side at 5805 – 87A St. They are open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are closed on statutory holidays.
Siva said ASSI is considering a drive-through option.