City of Regina suspends parking tickets around General Hospital amid pandemic

Parking enforcement is to be relaxed in the surrounding area nearRegina General Hospital.

Mayor Michael Fougere said council was "very sympathetic" to the situation, which was raised as an issue at a press conference earlier Thursday.

"We'll do what we can to make sure that we lessen the burdens of those who are on the front line of fighting this virus, we do not want to be an impediment to them," Fougere said.

"I just can't imagine a scenario where someone is in their outfit, having to leave to move their car."

Fougere said it was up to city administrators to provide a recommendation and council would have the final say on the matter.

A press release issued Thursday afternoon said no tickets had been issued in the general hospital-area since the province declared a state of emergency.

The city statement said all non-safety-related parking tickets since March 13, the day the city hosted its first COVID-19 statement, would be cancelled.

Enforcement in the area will also be relaxed to "recognize the work of medical health professionals."

Tickets will be issued in cases that present significant or imminent safety concerns, like to vehicles parked in front of fire hydrants, too close to corners, or blocking driveways.

Parking around Regina General Hospital has been an issue for years, particularly for hospital staff who report having been ticketed multiple times for on-street parking due to the two hour limit on many surrounding streets.

Additional parking enforcement considerations will be discussed at Friday morning's council meeting.