10 hours ago
‘It's a huge cost': City stops free courtesy tows during snow clearing operations
The city has stopped offering free courtesy tows for residents who don't move their vehicles during snow clearing.
In an annual report on snow clearing operations, the city's public works department noted it did not provide any courtesy tows last year. It cited a significant drop in the number of calls to move vehicles impeding snow clearing.
The policy has been in place since 2013. It gave a measure of grace to Winnipeggers who – unwittingly or otherwise – violated city residential parking bans. Rather than issuing a ticket and a tow to an impound lot, the city would provide free 'courtesy tows' and simply move the vehicle to another street at no cost to the owner.
'Although courtesy towing has been the practice, it is not a requirement by city bylaw or policy and has not shown significant operation efficiencies,' the report reads. 'Courtesy towing during residential parking bans is currently not planned to resume.'
That's welcome news to Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West), the chair of the public works committee.
'It's a huge cost. Why should taxpayers who actually abide by the rules be paying… that for people that aren't adhering to the rules?' she told reporters Thursday.
Lukes has pushed against the practice, noting in 2021 alone, courtesy tows cost the city more than $930,000. She said with no courtesy tows last year, those who don't move their vehicles would receive a ticket and crews would have to plow around them.
'Maybe what we do is we increase the fee for the ticket if you don't move your vehicle, because it's really important in a winter city to move your vehicle so we can clean the streets,' she said.
Lukes said increased ticket fees would be discussed at the upcoming committee meeting on July 3.
Last year the city went $14.4 million over its snow clearing budget of $40.5 million. This year, the city has budgeted $45.7 million.
According to the public works department, an average year of snow clearing costs $53.1 million but can range as low as $41 million or as high as $91.5 million.
