The City is simply trying to keep our streets clean.
But some drivers say it’s playing dirty.
The City has implemented a temporary parking ban in central neighbourhoods where on-street parking is continuous. It wants those vehicles out of the way so street sweepers can clean away the winter grit and grime.
To that end, it’s put up temporary no-parking signs. They’re made up of a pylon supporting a wooden stake with the sign stapled to it. Vehicles parked on affected streets face a $75 fine and a tow to a nearby street.
On Tuesday, tow truck drivers were very busy. “I guess we’re expecting about 200 cars to be towed today,” says Jean Sebastien of Gervais Towing.
Many drivers appeared to simply ignore the signs.
But others say they didn’t even see them. Strong winds knocked many signs over. Some were totally missing, ripped free of the staples. Some of those signs even ended up in local garbage piles and recycling bins, picked up by fastidious neighbours.
Elise Cote took pictures of the signs – or lack thereof – where she parked in Sandy Hill, right after her truck was towed. “There was only a cone with the little wooden stick,” she says. “There was no sign saying no parking.”
Cote took the photos to City Hall and had her ticket reduced by half.
But she could argue she didn't deserve it at all. According to Roger Chapman, Chief, By-law and Regulatory Services. In a statement, he explained "where there is no signage, a warning is issued and the vehicle is moved to a nearby street."
The City’s street sweeping blitz continues to Friday in areas including the downtown core, Lowertown and The Byward Market, Sandy Hill, New Edinburgh, Vanier, Chinatown, and the Glebe.
