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Motorists who were ticketed during Winnipeg’s recent 60-hour residential parking ban have nobody to blame but themselves, says one city councillor.
In an email to CBC, the city said it issued 5,546 tickets during the ban, which was in effect from Dec. 21 at 7 a.m. to Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. That’s up sharply from 3,631 tickets given out during a similar snow-clearing operation last December, according to the city’s data.
“We do an awful lot of communication on getting the word out,” Waverley West Coun. Janice Lukes told CBC on Wednesday. “We are a winter city. People know that when it snows, we plow.”
Lukes, who also chairs the city’s public committee, says enhanced efforts are needed to educate residents ahead of future bans, in addition to the city’s Know Your Zone app to check for parking restrictions.
She was, however, surprised by the increase in tickets given out.
“I was a little surprised, because I knew that in previous years it was lower,” Lukes said.
She’s unsure if doling out tickets will get the message across, but hopes the sting of the $200 fine — $150 if paid within 30 days — will make the point.
“People should be moving their vehicles,” Lukes said. “So you know what, they’re going to get stuck with the ticket, and so they should.”
Lukes would even like to see the fine for violating the ban go up, although she admits that’s probably not a popular opinion.
During residential parking bans, drivers can park overnight on designated winter routes, which are usually off-limits, Lukes said.
“It’s not like they have an excuse saying they have nowhere to park, because that’s not the case. We’re giving them street parking to park on.”
The city has stopped what it called “courtesy tows,” which moved vehicles that violated parking bans, Lukes says. Vehicle owners could still be ticketed for parking on the street during a ban, but wouldn’t be charged a towing fee.
While the city is now focusing more on ticketing vehicles that are illegally parked, a tow will be arranged if a vehicle becomes a “real hazard” on the road, said Lukes.
During a parking ban, about 20 enforcement vehicles — usually with one officer in each — are out on an average evening, according to a Wednesday email from a city spokesperson, which was provided to CBC by Lukes.
That approach allows for “greater efficiency and broader coverage” in ticketing non-compliant vehicles, the city said.
Three to 10 parking enforcement officers are typically out on a nightly basis issuing paper tickets, the spokesperson said.