Traffic ticket blitz

 

The City of Windsor has recently implemented a new zero tolerance policy for the violation of stopping and parking bylaws in every school area in Windsor, starting with giving out 35 tickets at Vincent Massey Secondary School.

This crackdown is being done through a ticket blitz at each school involving the City of Windsor Parking Enforcement, Windsor Police Service and the Windsor Fire Department if there are fire routes involved in the area.

“We’re adapting a new zero tolerance policy which means no warnings, no ‘hey move along’ type of thing,” said Bill Kralovensky, supervisor of parking enforcement for the city.

“If you’re in contravention of the City of Windsor parking bylaw, you will get a ticket.”

Kralovensky said the idea for a blitz was sparked by complaints from people in the neighbourhood around Massey about blocked driveways and safety issues.

Neighbourhood resident and student of Massey Wendy Wang feels safety is an issue for herself and everyone in the area when traffic bylaws are being violated.

“Not only do students of the school have to get to school safely without being worried that cars will randomly go in the wrong lane and hit them,” said Wang. “Also there’s many other residents and children who go to the elementary schools who need to safely go to school during rush hours and not be worried about all this chaos.”

Wang said she has still noticed traffic clogging in the area, but not as much as before the blitz.

According to Scott Scantlebury, Public Relations Officer for the Greater Essex County District School Board and Rob Peto, Vice Principal at Massey, student safety is the number one concern.

“One accident is too many,” said Scantlebury. “None are acceptable.”

Peto said there was not a lot of advanced warning about the blitz but that the No Stopping signs have been there for years.

Kralovensky feels the few days notice and information pamphlets they handed out were enough.  He also said they put out as much warning as possible through news outlets and social media.

“There was plenty of advanced notice,” said Kralovensky. “We’re not in the business of sneaking up on people.”

Kralovensky said his team plans to do a blitz at every school in the area.

Massey and St. John Vianney Catholic Elementary School have been blitzed so far. The next ticket blitzes will take place next week at Walkerville Collegiate Institute and St. Anne Catholic High School.