Commuters who have been leaving their cars in the lot at Champlain Mall, as a substitute for the parking spots closed at Panama terminal, may soon be ticketed or towed.
Hilal Berjaoui is a South Shore commuter who needs to go to downtown Montreal on a regular basis.
Recently, 500 parking spaces were closed at the Panama terminal where he catches the bus. His solution is to park at the Champlain Mall and walk over.
But as of Nov. 1, that strategy might backfire — recently drivers parking in the mall’s lot have seen notes under their windshield wiper advising them they could receive a ticket or be towed if they use the lot to reach the bus terminal.
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“It’s ridiculous,” he told Global News, adding he isn’t sure what he’ll do after Nov. 1.
The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) — the agency that owns the land — said through a spokesperson that it is negotiating with a lot near the terminal to allow commuters to park.
The ARTM has been in talks with the Champlain Mall but those talks have not yielded results, a spokesperson told Global News. The ARTM is hopeful it can free up about 200 spaces close by in the near future.