Valérie Plante said she was shocked on Monday by the opposition’s refusal to increase parking fines in Montreal.
The administration wishes to significantly increase the penalties, in particular for motorists who park in reserved lanes and spaces reserved for the disabled. For these two offenses, the fines will increase from $234 to $271 next year.
The opposition argued that these increases are too steep and that parking regulations are not evenly enforced across the city.
“My head is exploding right now,” the visibly angry mayor of Montreal told city council. “I find it shocking to hear what I’m hearing right now. […] We are attacking the very principle of being able to ensure that the public road is well shared. »
No, we do not park in a space reserved for people with disabilities. No, we do not park in a lane reserved for buses.
Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal
Mme Plante replied to Christine Black, the mayor of Montreal-North, who announced the refusal of the opposition
Without minimizing the seriousness of blocking the lanes reserved for public transport or the places reserved for people with disabilities, we are of the opinion that before increasing the fines by more than 15% (which are already steep enough), the administration should finalize the relocation and hiring of parking officers to allow increased surveillance throughout the territory,” said Ms.me Black.
The verbal jousting caused bickering at the municipal council.
“Increase the fines by 15% more, just to penalize Montrealers who have trouble eating, who are being asked to tighten their belts,” said opposition leader Aref Salem, supporting his colleague Black.
“We know that for a fine to have a deterrent power […], the fine must be large enough. We are talking here about obstructing security, ”added Sophie Mauzerolle, responsible for mobility within the Plante administration.