OTTAWA

113,000 fewer parking tickets issued to Ottawa motorists in 2020

Josh Pringle CTV News Ottawa Producer and Digital Lead

Published Sunday, March 7, 2021 3:56PM EST

Ottawa Bylaw Director Roger Chapman says the city has suspended enforcement of overtime parking on streets that do not have posted time limits. All other parking restrictions remain in effect. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

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OTTAWA -- Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 113,000 fewer parking tickets to Ottawa motorists last year, as the city relaxed parking restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics provided to CTVNewsOttawa.ca shows 249,721 tickets were handed out for parking violations in 2020, down from 362,753 tickets in 2019.

There were 353,005 tickets issued for parking infractions in 2018.

In March, the city suspended enforcement of the offence of parking in excess of the time limits at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move was designed to encourage people to work from home and help limit the spread of COVID-19.

The city resumed enforcing the posted time limits for parking on streets on June 29.

50,000 FEWER TICKETS ISSUED IN THREE MONTHS

On June 21, Ottawa Bylaw Services said changes in traffic patterns and relaxed parking restrictions resulted in a nearly 80 per cent drop in parking tickets issued during the first three months of the pandemic.

A total of 14,162 parking tickets were issued to motorists between March 17 and June 18. During the same period in 2019, Bylaw Services officers issued 63,978 tickets for parking violations.

Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services provided the total number of parking tickets issued between March 17 and June 18 to CTV News Ottawa.

March 17 to 30