A Calgary couple says a parking bylaw is keeping them from doing business and they need an exception.
Stacy and Shane Walton run a home-based electrician business and use their commercial truck to make house calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But after five years in business, the city is now ticketing them for breaking a bylaw that say commercial vehicles cannot be parked on residential streets between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
“What happens if I'm on a call and it's after 8:00 p.m. and you drive by and ticket me, you know, we’re working, where are we supposed to park?” said Shane.
A ticketing officer came to their home this week, and while they only got a warning, the couple said not being able to park at customer’s homes will jeopardize their livelihood.
“With businesses today, our economy, the wage increases, the increase in business tax, it feels like a slap in the face,” said Stacy.
Shane Keating, Ward 12 Councillor, says with the city more densified, more homes having multiple vehicles and with more people starting up home-based businesses, residential streets are going to get more crowded.
"What we have to do is sit down with these home-based businesses and find out what can be done, can their commercial vehicle be parked on their drive way and their car on the street?” he said.
Meantime, the Calgary Parking Authority said more tickets have been given out this year compared to last, and fines range from $120 to $210.
