The city of London is cracking down on illegal pop-up parking lots downtown.

The operators usually set up in lots of downtown businesses close to Budweiser Gardens on nights when there are London Knight and London Lightning games or a major concert.

Bylaw enforcement officers have issued tickets to operators of illegal lots and confiscated their signs in periodic blitzes, city of London parking manager Annette Drost said.

With Victoria-based Impark owning the vast majority of downtown private lots, Drost acknowledges that drivers may be frustrated and looking for a cheap, easy alternative.

But she said anyone who charges people to park in their lots has to have a specific parking lot licence and follow regulations.

“It’s unfair competition between someone who runs a lot full time compared to someone who runs it on Friday night — it’s similar to an Uber compared to a taxi licence.”

Temporary lots operate without proper zoning, insurance and permanent signage, Drost said.

Bylaw enforcement officers can charge the property owner, the person operating the illegal lot or both, she said.

In at least one instance, a downtown property owner wasn’t aware someone was charging drivers to park on their lot.

Hockey fans and concert goers have options besides parking lots, Drost said. Drivers can park on street for free after 6 p.m., and there are a number of city-owned lots close to Budweiser Gardens, including one at Horton and Ridout streets with 400 spots for $4 for the night and another at the Kiwanis Senior Centre on Riverside Drive.

Illegal parking lots are often linked to special events, but Drost said sometimes a property owner will quietly open an illegal lot and charge monthly rates to downtown employees. Bylaw officers typically take action after receiving a complaint about those lots, she said.

Pop-up parking lots on front lawns and backyards were once common in east London during the Western Fair but Drost said those lots have always been illegal and the problem has diminished in recent years as the fair added more parking.

hdaniszewski@postmedia.com

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