The Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) announced Tuesday it’s ripping up or refunding $50,000 worth of parking tickets and $100,000 in charges collected from 7 a.m. pricing zones since Aug. 1, 2016.
The decision comes after a discrepancy between the traffic bylaw and parking policy changes approved by council earlier this year. The policy, which passed in June, allowed for paid parking beginning at 7 a.m. in three downtown parking zones, but the bylaw was not changed.
“We looked in the parking bylaw and checked the parking bylaw and there was no reference to 9 a.m., but there was an obscure section of the traffic bylaw that specifically said parking was free everywhere in Calgary before 9 a.m. or up to 9 a.m.,” CPA general manager Mike Derbyshire told Newstalk 770’s Rob Breakenridge.
Derbyshire said enforcement has been suspended and any fees collected or tickets issued from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the affected areas since Aug. 1 will be scrapped.
That means 800 parking tickets will be quashed or refunded.
“This is something we found and we immediately corrected the mistake and we’re doing the best we can to make sure that anyone who’s been affected by this lack of authority to do what policy dictated is reimbursed,” Derbyshire said.
On Monday night, council passed the bylaw changes, which will be enforced as of Jan. 2.
“As a goodwill gesture to all Calgarians and recognizing our mistake, we’re not doing any enforcement of early morning charge parking from now until Jan. 2,” he said.
Anyone who paid by credit card or cash at the pay machines or used the Virtual Pay Machine option between 7 a.m and 9 a.m. from Aug. 1 to Dec. 16, 2016 in the 4a, 4c and 4d parking areas should email their name, phone number and license plate to refunds@calgaryparking.com.
ParkPlus cellphone account holders who made payments in the 7 a.m. areas will receive an automatic credit to their account for any sessions they activated during that time frame.
With files from Global News
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