It’s not a good feeling when you approach your vehicle and see a parking ticket placed on your vehicle’s windshield.
And there may be more people experiencing that sinking feeling this year compared to the last couple years.
According to the City of Regina, the number of parking tickets that have been issued in 2022 is notably higher than what was recorded in 2021.
The latest data from the City indicates 18,721 parking tickets were handed out by the city’s parking enforcement team between the start of the year to the end of June.
Compare that number to the same time frame in 2021 when there were 13,463 tickets issued — a 39-per-cent drop from what has been reported so far this year.
“We’ve issued fewer tickets in comparison to pre-COVID-19 numbers, but there is more traffic downtown, therefore, we’re issuing more tickets,” explained Dawn Schikowski, the City of Regina’s manager of licensing and parking services.
“There are more infractions, more safety concerns and higher volume of vehicles parking on the street.”
That number from January to June in 2019 was approximately 28,000 tickets.
In addition, the city is at approximately 70 per cent of what they usually see for issued parking tickets at this point in time.
Schikowski said much of their parking enforcement in 2020 and 2021 was reduced in response to changing patterns and restrictions of the pandemic.
But now parking enforcement has returned to regular enforcement practices and the City says more infractions are occurring.
“The most common tickets issued are those extended stay events where you’re parking at an expired meter or you’re parking longer than permitted at a sign at a particular area,” Schikowski noted.
“Other common infractions are those safety infractions such as stopping too close to an intersection, a curb crossing or sidewalk.”
Schikowski added that it’s best for drivers to familiarize themselves with the city’s parking rules, if they have not already, in order to avoid having a ticket under their windshield wiper for next time.
She reminded residents that parking meters run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Meters run on two-hour limits and parkers can pay either with change or by using the PayByPhone mobile app.
Additional information on the city’s parking rules is available at the City of Regina’s website.