TPS Out-of-Province Habitual Offender Initiative starts

Monday, February 23, 2015, TPS Out-of-Province Habitual Offender Initiative starts

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - 7:59 AM
Parking Enforcement:  416-808-6600

On Monday, January 5, 2015, following an education campaign, the Toronto Police Service started its initiative to reduce congestion on rush-hour routes in the downtown core.

As of Friday, February 13, 2015, 1,784 vehicles have been towed and 11,326 tickets issued.

The next phase of the campaign, starting on Monday, February 23, 2015, is the Out-of-Province Habitual Offender Initiative. Its aim is to to improve traffic flow as well as compliance with the city’s parking regulations.

Under the Highway Traffic Act, a person, upon becoming a resident of Ontario has 30 days to register their vehicle in Ontario. The offence for not doing so carries a fine of $110.

The city identifies a habitual parking offender by their licence plate, when the vehicle has three or more tickets that have not been actioned, where payment has not been made after 120 days.

Similar to the habitual offender program for vehicles with Ontario licence plates, put in place in 2014, out-of-province habitual offenders who continue to abuse parking regulations will be ticketed and towed when found committing a parking offence. Towed vehicles are subject to towing fees of approximately $200, plus daily storage fees of up to $80.

Each year, approximately 150,000 vehicles with out-of-province licence plates are ticketed for parking illegally. Only 15% of these offenders pay their fines. Approximately 7,700 offenders have three or more tickets issued to their vehicles and ignore the fines. These are classified as habitual offenders.

Habitual offenders abuse parking regulations, block traffic, occupy paid-permit parking areas, displace valid permit-holders and contribute to traffic congestion and gridlock.


For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.



Constable Victor Kwong, Corporate Communications, for Brian Moniz, Parking Enforcement