EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Local businesses are voicing their concerns over the potential commercial traffic ban at the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) Port of Entry.
As we previously reported, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has picked a “no-commercial traffic” alternative for the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a project that would upgrade and improve the BOTA Port of Entry.
Back in September, the GSA said the public has 45 days to comment on the EIS. That comment period will end at 10:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Nov. 4.
Businesses speaking to KTSM said if BOTA bans commercial traffic, that traffic will move to other ports of entry creating longer wait times.
Soledad Muñoz, with the Muñoz Trucking Inc., said the increase in wait times at these other ports can also impact truck drivers.
“A lot of the trucking companies here in El Paso like ourselves, have a sister company in Juarez. So, we do have to cross freight back and forth and, our drivers then, you know, then the quality of life goes down as well because they’re going to have to be in these long lines where obviously these tractors don’t have restrooms. So, they’ll have to sleep in their trucks, you know, to hold their place in line,” Muñoz adds.
Grupo Bafar, a company that transports food products across the border, said they worry that those extended wait times at other ports will impact how soon their product can be delivered.
“We have meat products. Our product is perishable, so we have to cross the product over the same day. We work just on time,” the general manager for Grupo Bafar in El Paso, Ana Maria Velo, said.
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