The Toronto Police are continuing their crackdown on illegally parked vehicles as they expand their 'Tag and Tow' campaign north of downtown.
The blitz, which started in the downtown core last week, is now moving to major streets north of Bloor. Vehicles that are parked along major roads during morning and afternoon rush hours will now be towed at the owner’s expense, without exception.
"This is not going to be tolerated… you must stay off the roadways during rush hour and you must obey the rules," Const. Clint Stibbe told CTV Toronto on Monday.
Drivers are not permitted to park on most major streets from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
Drivers who would normally face a $150 parking ticket could now have to pay up to $230 to get their vehicle back, and delivery truck drivers may be charged up to $1,000.
"Last week we did see the numbers starting to drop somewhat obviously showing more compliance on the routes," Stibbe said.
The blitz towed 321 vehicles and issued 2,430 parking tickets last week and is hoping to continue to send a message to drivers.
Toronto Mayor John Tory told CTV Toronto last week that he hopes no one will be towed, but the new policy will underline the impact illegal parking has on traffic congestion in a city already struck with gridlock.
"Over time, through a combination of disrespect for existing laws and a failure to enforce them, our laws have become a joke," Tory said then.
Along with cars being an issue, Toronto police have also seen a large number of delivery vehicles blocking roadways.
Stibbe told CTV News that delivery companies have begun to change their route times as well as the start times of their employees in an attempt to solve the problem.
What to do if your car gets towed in Toronto
In a statement last week, Toronto police reminded drivers that vehicles are impounded for various reasons in addition to being parked illegally during rush hour.
If your car is not where you left it, police advise following these steps:
- Call the Toronto Police Service's non-emergency line at 416-808-2222. When prompted, push 4 and then 2 to get in contact with the communications dispatcher.
- Provide the dispatcher with your licence plate number and the vehicle's last known location.
- The dispatcher will tell you whether the car has been impounded, and provide the vehicle's current location.
- If the car has been impounded, call the appropriate towing company and make arrangements to retrieve it.
Police warn that storage fees are based on the time a vehicle spends in the lot. The storage yards used by Toronto police charge between $50 and $80 per day, and drivers will also have to pay a towing fee of between $149 and $165.
