If you think travelling along Cambie Street in Vancouver has been a challenge lately, just wait until you try crossing the U.S. border at the end of the month.
New rules for Canadians going to the U.S. by land take effect on June 1st. But the launch of a special piece of identification that's supposed to speed up the process is anything but speedy.
The provincial government had hoped to reduce wait times at the border with new enhanced licences. But when it comes to getting that licence into drivers' pockets, B.C. is lagging behind.
Right now travelers only need a drivers licence to cross the border into the U.S.. But from June 1st, it will become a lot more difficult. New American rules say you will need a passport or a special enhanced drivers licence to gain entry.
The enhanced drivers licence was promoted by B.C. and Washington State as a passport in your pocket, a travel document you could keep in your wallet .
Since January, 2008, Washington State has issued some 60,400 licences. B.C., by comparison hasn't issued any.
If you need to cross the border soon, and you haven't already applied for an enhanced drivers licence, officials say you are too late.
ICBC says it is expecting to get the first several hundred licences into driver's hands this week. It says Washington is ahead because the state was able to react faster to American rules.
"We certainly did it as early as we possibly could,'' said ICBC spokesman Adam Grossman. "We are happy that we have got our cards in place,'' he said.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Jon Woodward
