The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) says the past week has been one of its busiest in history for roadside assistance calls.
AMA received more than 49,000 calls between Jan. 9 and Jan. 17 and requests for boosts were as high as 33 times normal.
“For AMA, the only change warmer weather brings is fewer layers of clothing for our operators, who’ve been working 10, 12, 14-hour shifts—even when temperatures were below -40°C,” says Brandon Klassen, spokesman for AMA. “We’re grateful for everyone’s patience and understanding. If you’re one of the people still in need of assistance, please know we’re doing everything we can to get you moving again.”
Jan. 12 was the peak for roadside calls, with more than 9,000 of them in a 24-hour period. AMA says every available operator and contractor has been enlisted to help, including temporary workers from partners like GlassMasters, Lube City and ATS Traffic.
It will take time to get through the backlog of calls and in the meantime, AMA says it is important to keep an emergency kit in your vehicle. It also suggest finding alternate transport if you have doubts about your batteries health, until it can be replaced or tested.
With files from mylethbridgenow.com reporter Tyler Hay.
