City staff also working to ensure essential service and health-care providers can park for free outside hospitals

Enforcement has already been stepped up in the West End, Kitsilano, and Point Grey,

The city has been receiving complaints about too many drivers taking advantage of relaxed parking enforcement

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The City of Vancouver is asking drivers not the take advantage of relaxed parking restrictions.

Taryn Scollard, Vancouver’s director of streets and engineering, says the city has been receiving complaints about too many drivers taking advantage of the latter.

“We’ve also seen a rise in people using parking meters, not surprisingly, and we really want people not to abuse that and, say, stay there all day. Really, only use those spaces for those quick ins and outs to get in and out of the grocery store or running some errands for themselves or people in need.”

She says enforcement has already been stepped up in the West End, Kitsilano, and Point Grey, where bylaw officers are ticketing abusers.

Please stop hogging up meter space because enforcement has been relaxed and you think it's free!

That request coming from #Vancouver's director of streets and engineering.

Taryn Scollard says complaints are coming in from businesses about meter hogs.#vanpoli #COVID19 @NEWS1130 — Marcella Bernardo (@Bernardo1130) April 20, 2020

“Businesses have been complaining that there isn’t space available out front and, certainly, this isn’t everywhere in the city. It is more localized, so we do ask people, if you aren’t doing a quick trip in and out somewhere, that you try to find off-street parking just to allow the street parking still for people who are making quick trips.”

Scollard adds city staff is grateful for people choosing to still pay for parking, even though they know enforcement has been relaxed in most neighbourhoods.

“We do have people still paying for meters. Parking isn’t free. We just are not enforcing the meters. When people choose to do so, we appreciate it and we ask that people not abuse it and not park there all day for extended periods if they have other options available.”

Scollard says city staff is also working to ensure essential service and health care providers can still park for free outside hospitals or other high traffic areas.

Last week, the city resumed parking enforcement in Kitsilano and Point Grey to discourage people from driving to beaches, parks, and trails.