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Opinion: Burnaby is still giving out parking tickets. But should it?

A big question readers have had for me in the past few days is what is happening with City of Burnaby bylaw officers when it comes to parking.
parking ticket

A big question readers have had for me in the past few days is what is happening with City of Burnaby bylaw officers when it comes to parking.

Now, it should be said that this doesn’t seem like an important issue during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I have had a flurry of messages about this issue.

And it also is important when you add the context of essential workers dealing with parking issues during an extremely stressful time.

The City of Vancouver made a bold decision this week by suspending enforcement of parking meters, rush-hour zones, residential permit-parking zones and parking time limits, including three-hour parking restrictions.

The moves are designed to help essential workers and protect front-line staff during COVID-19 crisis, according to a March 30 press release.

I asked the City of Burnaby what it was doing and got this response: “We continue to enforce parking regulations to ensure public safety on city streets is not compromised. However, we are not enforcing parking time restrictions surrounding the hospital during the COVID crisis.”

So meters around Burnaby Hospital will not be monitored, but all others will. (Parking is also currently free on-site at Burnaby Hospital.)

That isn’t sitting well with some residents.

“I don't think they should be enforcing anything other than urgent safety violations,” said NOW reader Peter. “Meters, time limits, three-hour bylaws, 72-hour notice etc. should be relaxed for time being.”

NOW reader Balraj said he’s seen tickets being handed out on two separate days while he was waiting outside of his bank on Kingsway.

“The people in line were becoming frantic,” he said. “Either they stay in line or go after their car. It was probably one of the saddest things I’ve seen. Instead of helping the community, the city is sending out their employees to ticket people, and pose financial penalties on them at the worst time in our history.”

Kirk LaPointe, the vice-president of editorial for the company that employs me, Glacier Media, summed it up nicely.

“I see no reason why parking in general at the moment isn't free,” LaPointe tweeted. “There is no competition for street parking, lots are empty, main arteries are quiet at rush hour, and people are being ticketed by officers who might be better applied to other tasks for the city.”

Now if someone is parking in a dangerous way somewhere in the city, I think that definitely needs to be punished. But I’d rather bylaw enforcement staff be utilized in more productive ways during this strange and stressful time.

  • With files from the Vancouver Courier

Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.