REGINA – The lack of available parking in the downtown core causes cars to spill into side streets in surrounding neighbourhoods, and residents in Cathedral think not enough is being done when it comes to parking enforcement.
“I think the job that they’re doing is absolutely disgusting,” said Rod Kletchko, a resident of the Cathedral neighbourhood.
“You can park anywhere you want, any which way you want and nobody’s going to do anything,” said Kletchko.
Another issue is cars that are parked too close to an intersection. It creates a blind spot for drivers who are trying to make a turn.
“It’s hugely dangerous. A week ago I saw a bus couldn’t even make the corner because of the cars parked in the intersection illegally,” said Kletchko.
While some residents think not enough is being done, the city says otherwise.
“Last year for the city of Regina, and this includes our contractor, the core of commissionaires as well as the private issuers that we have, there were 83,196 tickets issued,” said Andrea McNeil-Wilson, manager of parking services for the City of Regina.
That number doesn’t include tickets issues at the University of Regina or at Wascana Centre Authority. And nearly 75,000 of the 83,196 tickets are issued by about 16 city enforcement officers. It’s raked in just over $1.9 million in 2012. Now the city is planning to nearly double their fleet.
“We have three additional vehicles that were approved as part of the budget. Those will likely be delivered by August or September,” said McNeil-Wilson.
Residents like Kletchko hope it will make a difference.
“It’s a win-win situation. They get far more money in, and what’s it going to cost for a few more vehicles coming out here and fixing the parking situation?” said Kletchko.
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