The 50% increase in the cost of fines for illegal parking will allow Quebec City to finally balance its operating costs, the municipal administration said.
This was made known on Tuesday by the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, in an improvised press release. “The City charged higher rates than those charged to violators. There is something that is not working,” he stated.
During the municipal council, Pierre-Luc Lachance, vice president of the executive committee, assured that the increase from 40 to 60 dollars was “well studied.”
Including all operating costs, issuing multiple tickets costs the City $1.2 million more than it brings in. The $20 increase will restore some balance, he later added.
The resolution including the $20 increase was voted on during Tuesday’s municipal council despite the opposition of the two elected officials of the Québec Priority Team (EPQ). It will normally come into force this Wednesday after its probable vote by the agglomeration council.
Rejected argument
On Tuesday, Bruno Marchand flatly rejected ÉPQ’s argument that spoke of “relentlessness against motorists” and that “we aim to scare motorists” from downtown businesses.
Surprised, the mayor of Quebec recalled that an illegally parked motorist prevents another motorist from parking and going to a business.
“When a car leaves and leaves its parking lot for 2 hours, 60 minutes or whatever, there is no bicycle waiting to replace it. We are not going to replace that with a bike lane. “It is a parking lot that is freed up for another car,” he argued.
According to him, “the issue here is not the car versus another means of transportation. Business owners are asking us to limit the duration (of parking) so that more people can come to their business. »
For his part, Claude Villeneuve, leader of Quebec First, did not oppose the increase in the cost of fines. However, he reiterated the importance of enforcing the regulations with sufficient personnel.
