Drivers stuck in traffic hell crossing Queensland border
Drivers have waited at least 90 minutes to cross the Queensland-NSW border, reduced to crawling along at just 8km/h as stringent checks create long queues. And it’s not just drivers who are fuming.
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DRIVERS have waited at least 90 minutes to cross the Queensland/NSW border on Sunday as stringent checks created long queues and forced border residents to remain at home.
The Tweed-Coolangatta border crossing has seen heavy delays since the Sunshine State eased restrictions to allow interstate travellers in on Friday.
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One driver said it took 90-minutes to cross the border mark on Sunday but she was yet to get near the checkpoint for her pass to be seen.
“Haven’t gone above 8km/h in an hour and 45 minutes and still haven’t reached the checkpoint,” she said Sunday afternoon.
Signage on the Tweed Coast warned drivers of 90-minute delays but the driver said gridlock started well before the Tweed area.
At 6pm traffic remained heavy from Tugun down to Tweed Heads South.
Residents on the Tweed said they were unable to leave their homes by car due to the congestion.
Taking to social media, residents posted pictures of cars lining their normally quiet streets, with one resident attacking the Government for their lack of organisation.
“Can’t even get to our house on our own street? The government can shove it. We’ve been waiting already 20 minutes and not even halfway to our house.”
Another posted: “We aren’t leaving home today as we cannot face the traffic.”
One traveller revealed how it took her nearly an hour to get over the border to pick her son up from work.
“People were also blocking the side streets. The traffic was shocking crossing the border at the airport and on the M1,” they said.
Thousands of visitors who have flocked to the Sunshine State after the borders had left them locked out since March.
With Victorians remaining the exception, many Aussie holiday-makers have packed up their camping gear and headed up from New South Wales.
It comes after 238,000 people had filled out border passes before Queensland’s borders reopened on Friday.