Double-parking crackdown in downtown Fredericton hurts business, owner says

Some businesses in downtown Fredericton say the city has suddenly started cracking down on double parking by couriers, causing companies to miss deliveries and posing a threat to their bottom line.

Luke Randall, owner of Endeavours on Queen Street, said that over the last week a drivermaking a deliveryto his store reported getting a finefor double parking on the street.

Delivery vehicles facing fines for double-parking in downtown Fredericton

7 years ago

Duration 1:25

Delivery vehicles on Queen Street are getting fines for double-parking on their stops to businesses downtown. One business owner said that's going to be a problem.

"I've been in business in 23 years. We've never had a problem with double parking," Randall said.

The crackdownpresents a huge challenge for his business because there are few commercial loading zones nearby, and they're usually occupied, he said.

If drivers can't find a place to park and don't want to get fined, Randall said, he's worried he might start missing deliveries altogether.

"So my question would be, how do we get them? If we go to the depot, how will we park?" he said.

"They don't get paid for circling the block, so that is ultimately going to mean that they may not want to be delivering here. And if they won't deliver here, we have to move."

Several businesses affected

Randall is not the only one raising alarm bells over the increased enforcement.

Bruce McCormack, general manager of Downtown Fredericton Inc., said the uptick in enforcement is affecting businesses all along Queen Street.

He said businesses were never given a heads-up about the ticketing, so for the city to suddenly start enforcing the law downtown, after looking the other way for years, seems "ill-handed."

"The double parking on Queen Street has been going on for longer than those offices that are giving the tickets are old," he said.

"For the city to all of sudden say we've gotta clamp down on this, and start handing down tickets, I think is a poor way to do business."

He added that ifthe city is going to crack down on double parking downtown, then it needsto add more loading zones.

"Because obviously there's not enough if they have to double park."

BothMcCormack and Randall said they reached out to Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien, who told them he's looking into their concerns.

Police respond

AlyciaBartlett, a spokesperson for the Fredericton police, said that over the past two weeks, officers have issued eight written warnings and two bylaw tickets to commercial vehicles for illegal parking downtown.

She did not explain exactly what prompted the enforcement but said police are trying to encourage compliance ahead of the summer construction season.

She said policewillwork with downtown businesses to address their concerns.