City
Ombudsman critical of Toronto’s parking ticket procedures DAVID NICKLE dnickle@insidetoronto.com If you want to fight a parking ticket at Toronto City Hall, you might be surprised to find it’s easier than you think. And that’s not a good thing, according to a report from Toronto’s Ombudsman Fiona Crean, looking into the way the city handles disputed parking tickets. Crean’s report came as a result of “a sizeable number of complaints”
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from parking ticket recipients. They complained the dispute process doesn’t give recipients adequate information about ways to cancel a parking ticket or dispute it, unfairly requires recipients to attend in person to request a trial, and that service at parking tag offices is inadequate and trials untimely. “Complainants stated that the parking infraction dispute process seemed designed to encourage payment and discourage those with disputes from pursuing them,” she
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wrote. The investigation took place over 11 months – and according to Crean, found some merit the complaints. While she wrote that the process provides reasonable services to recipients given resources and demand, she agreed the information provided to recipients seemed tailored to discourage anything but promptly paying a ticket. “The information that appears on the parking infraction notice downplays the trial option and gives no indication that tickets are
in some cases cancellable without attendance in court,” she wrote. The city does have guidelines that explain how tickets can be cancelled. But they’re not accessible to the general public, wrote Crean. She noted the city has made an effort to improve the dispute system. She recommended five measures to improve service: • Expand and clarify the information on challenging a ticket that’s on the infraction notice, the city website and parking tag offices;
• Expand the use of telephone, email and fax for dealing with ticket issues where an in-person appearance isn’t needed; • Require staff at parking tag offices to identify and help recipients whose ticket cancellation might not require a court appearance; • Look at initiatives that would reduce court appearances. • Ask the Attorney General to refer the issue of creating an administrative penalty to the Court of Appeal for a final ruling.
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