Free street parking surrounding Burnaby Hospital is being considered as a way to ease the burden on people visiting patients or using health-care services.
Burnaby council passed a motion on Monday night asking city staff to come back with options on how to make street parking free around the hospital.
The city has no control over the parking on the hospital grounds, where the Fraser Health Authority has jurisdiction and charges rates that some call unfair.
The group HospitalPayParking.ca was founded to lobby government to eliminate pay parking at hospitals.
Group founder Jon Buss says the fees reduce access to health care - calling them “immoral.”
The City of Burnaby controls parking on the streets surrounding the hospital off Kincaid Street.
Coun. Pietro Calendino, who presented the motion, said the city recognizes the issue of enforcing and monitoring parking without meters from people who may choose to abuse the liberty.
“That’s why we hope staff will come back and give us options on how we can do that,” Calendino said.
Calendino said the city received a proposal last week by an individual suggesting that parking on hospital grounds be made free for hospital visitors and their supporters. Calendino said he could only make a motion for what the city had authority over.
Calendino said he hopes staff will have a report ready by May.
- With files from Business in Vancouver
