Do you pay more than the time actually used when using public parking spaces in Montreal? The official opposition in City Hall believes so and suggests giving credit to motorists who do not reach the limit of their parking meters.
Posted at 11:24 am
“The current payment method does not indicate the arrival of time or the departure of the parking space. If we pay two hours and leave an hour later, we will not see our money again,” Ensemble Montreal leader Aref Salem told a news conference Thursday morning.
Keep in mind that the idea of such a “pointing” system is not new. This was actually put forward when Denise Coderre submitted her mobility commitments during the last municipal campaign last October.
A resolution will be tabled to force elected officials into the next city council on June 13. Clearly, the opposition is proposing to add an option to the P $ service mobile application, which will allow Montreallers to indicate at what exact time they will leave their parking space. The overpayment amount will be “credited to the application” and can then be reused.
Photo by Martin Tremble, The Press
Effie Giannou, city councilor in Bordeaux-Cartierville and official opposition leader Aref Salem.
Many Canadian cities, such as Calgary, Victoria or Edmonton, are already offering a “start button” on their parking application to stop charging.
“I don’t think there will be a shortage of revenue from the first year. There may be stagnation. When there is credit, in principle, you can use it if necessary. These are things that need to be studied, ”said Mr. Salem. “There is a fundamental fair problem that needs to be fixed. Technology certainly allows the application to change. It has to happen,” he insisted.
The opposition demands that the Sustainable Mobility Agency “explore solutions” so that the same customer payment principle applies to payment terminal customers as well. To date, about eight in ten Montreals are using a mobile application instead of a terminal. Among those under 35, this ratio increases to 95%. “There is no easy solution, but we are hopeful that the agency will find an interesting formula,” said Effie Gianou, a consultant at Bordeaux-Cartierville.
The Valerie Plante office says it is “working tirelessly to improve mobility in Montreal for all consumers.” “The significant investments we have made in technology upgrades and innovations in Agencies de Mobility Durable will open many doors to affordable prices and make parking easier and more transparent for motorists,” said Press Officer Marikim Goudrol.
“We are ready to explore different possibilities. We will discuss the proposal at the next City Council,” she concluded.
