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Last week’s ban was also the first since council voted to hike fines for vehicle owners from $75 to $120. The 60 per cent bump in fees was aimed at increasing compliance with the policy. The fine can be reduced to $90 if paid within 30 days, or $80 if paid within 10 days.

Coun. Jeff Davison, one of council’s representatives on the CPA board, said it’s a balancing act for the city when it comes to fines.

“First and foremost, people expect their routes to be cleared. We’ve put an increased amount of budget over the last little while into snow clearing because it continues to be a top priority and we can’t get the job effectively done if the roads are full of cars,” he said.

“While it’s a delicate balance — you’re not trying to create this cash-cow system — the reality is you have to provide some incentive to have people take the snow ban seriously.”

Coun. Sean Chu says the majority of complaints he hears about the ban aren’t about the fines, they’re from residents frustrated with their neighbours.

“That’s the No. 1 complaint: the street is all clear, there’s just a few spots left because there is a neighbour who couldn’t care less to move the vehicle,” Chu said.

“It’s a growing pain in a way. But 100 per cent we should not only give tickets, we should actually tow the vehicle, even if it’s just around the corner.”

Still, it’s unclear whether the increased fine will improve compliance with the policy.

A spokeswoman for CPA said the compliance rate for last week’s parking ban was “about the same” as it has been for the past couple of parking bans. “Unfortunately, we haven’t seen a significant change, up or down,” said Adrian Mrdeza.