Promised for last February, a 24/7 telephone line was launched on Thursday to report obstacles to traffic or parking in Montreal. Until now, when a mobility blockage was observed in the metropolis, citizens had to contact the police at 911 in order to obtain an intervention.
This will no longer be the case because Montrealers will be able to directly call the Sustainable Mobility Agency, which has been responsible for managing parking in the metropolis since 2020.
Thus, the number 514 868-3737 can be dialed at any time of the day or night, and this, every day of the week. In particular, they will be able to report vehicles parked on cycle paths or reserved lanes.
According to the Director General of the Agency, the line should allow faster interventions against offenders.
“We are going to have all the services related to parking under the same roof, from taking calls to distributing demand, including intervention in the field,” said Laurent Chevrot.
Citizens can also contact the Agency for any questions about paid parking and parking meters.
Promised for last February, the launch of the call center experienced some delays due to higher than expected hiring and a change in the telephone system to handle a high volume of calls.
In fact, more than 100,000 calls concerning parking were received each year by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). Twenty-seven officers will therefore be available to deal with complaints of obstruction by Montrealers over the telephone.
Hirings have also increased on the side of the agents in the field because 80 of them were recruited in 2022, for a total of approximately 250 parking agents ready to intervene.
Cycle paths in the line of sight
According to Mr. Chevrot, the number of people who park illegally on cycle paths or reserved lanes has not necessarily jumped in recent years.
“But tolerance vis-à-vis these obstacles is lower, which is normal because it poses real security and mobility issues,” he explained.
Thus, the number of statements of offense issued nevertheless increased this year.
As of April 30, 2023, 742 statements of offense have been issued regarding an obstruction on a bicycle path. 459 fines were established during the same period last year.
Four parking officers will also be assigned to the exclusive surveillance of Montreal’s bikeways throughout the summer.
As for the amount of fines, this remains the prerogative of the City or the boroughs.
The Plateau-Mont-Royal notably went up a gear, in early May, for parking in a bike lane. The fine will be almost three times higher from June, going from $100 to $271.
In the eyes of the official opposition, “the idea may seem good on paper, but in reality, it is a false solution”.
“The Sustainable Mobility Agency does not have the directive to treat these calls as a priority”, reacted Alba Zuniga Ramos, spokesperson for the opposition in terms of active transport. “Not to mention that the parking officer must catch the motorist in the act to be able to issue a statement of offense.”