A new traffic blitz targeting vehicles blocking lanes of traffic during rush hour is going to kick off next week, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced Tuesday.
Police will be giving $150 tickets to drivers stopped in curbside lanes and towing vehicles that are parked in lanes of traffic.
Tory said he hopes police will be “relentless” in their enforcement.
Police will be targeting any vehicle that is blocking a lane, including delivery trucks and ride-sharing cars.
Tory said tackling traffic congestion has been a priority for him since he was first elected mayor in 2014 and campaigns like this have helped.
“It’s disappointing that we have to keep doing these blitzes, but … they have been effective over time in changing behaviours and in improving the situation in terms of people getting around the city,” he said.
In the city’s most recent campaign, which was held from Sept. 18-22, 2017, 1,718 parking tickets were issued and 347 vehicles were towed.
At the same time as this new campaign, police will also be launching a blitz targeting distracted drivers.
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“There are still far too many people engaged in distracted driving of one kind or another,” Tory said.
That campaign comes after the provincial government recently introduced new distracted driving laws, which include the possibility of a three-day licence suspension and a fine of up to $1,000 plus three demerit points for anyone caught using a handheld device while driving.
“I’m very hopeful the police will be relentless in enforcing these new laws and applying the new penalties, which are meant to be considerably more burdensome for people,” Tory said.
Supt. Scott Baptist told reporters that officers will be located in unmarked vehicles, pickup trucks, vans and even TTC streetcars and buses during the campaign.
In 2018, police issued 9,045 distracted driving tickets.
“For every one of those, there were literally thousands more who didn’t get caught,” Baptist said. “We all see it every day.”
These blitzes are scheduled to begin next Monday, Jan. 14.
The distracted driving blitz will continue until Jan. 20, while the campaign targeting vehicles blocking rush hour routes will last until Feb. 1.
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