B.C. man develops app to help counter high gas prices

A Coquitlammanhas developed a calculatorto help drivers determine if it's worth driving to the U.S. to buy gas instead of buying inB.C.

Gilson Tsangmade the appavailable for Android smartphones on the Google Play app store on April 25. It's called Worth the Drive.

He says he made the program because he was tired of paying for what he calls "overpriced" Vancouver gas.

"This is such a big deal right now," he said about people trying to find a deal on gas prices.

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To find out if it's worth making the effort to cross the borderfor gas, users input the length and distanceof their drive to the U.S. destination, their vehicle's fuel efficiency, the price of gas in both countries, the amount of fuel to be bought and the exchange rate.

He says the app has shown that it's worth the savings to drive from Whistler to the U.S. to buy gas.

Every two and half weeks Tsang drives south from Coquitlam with two extra fuel canisters and buys 110 litres of fuel.

With the app he says he saves about$50 every time he crosses the border to buy gas.

He said some people think they are burning too much fuelto drive across the border to fill up. But Tsang said theappconsistently shows that even though it may cost between $5 and $10 to get over the border and back, it's worth it for a $50 savings in filling up.

"You're gaining $40 profit," he said.

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Tsang said he wants to support local businesses in B.C. but the price difference between fuel in Canada and the U.S. is too big to ignore.

He is alsocalling on the the province to do more to help drivers with high gas prices in B.C.