VICTORIA -- It was one of those bright-side treats many essential workers in Victoria’s core relished, but free parking during the COVID-19 pandemic is on the way out.
The City of Victoria has taken a form of pity on the parking public during late March and early April. On-street parking enforcement had disappeared, leaving a blissful few to pull in nose-first with impunity.
Starting Wednesday that parking party in the core is over. Victoria parking ambassadors began slipping notices onto vehicles Tuesday.
The notices were only a warning – a sign that the good times are soon coming to an end.
It’s not all bad though. City staff have devised a new parking price scheme during the economic downturn:
- City of Victoria parkades - first hour free and then $1 per hour to a maximum of $5. Monthly rate - $85
- On-street parking - $1 per hour
- Surface parking lots - $1 per hour with a $5 daily maximum
It’s unclear when city council will restore pre-pandemic parking fees.
