Ottawa rolling out new system to deal with parking ticket disputes. Here's what you need to know
Ottawa motorists soon won't have to go to court to fight their parking tickets, as the city proceeds with a new system to deal with ticket disputes.
The City of Ottawa will be rolling out its new administrative penalty system in June to manage and adjudicate parking ticket infractions, with plans to extend it to photo radar and red-light camera tickets in the future.
Screening and hearing officers appointed by the City of Ottawa will deal with ticket disputes.
Under the system, drivers who receive a parking ticket can either pay the fine or request a review by the screening officer. Following the decision by the screening officer, the offender can request a review by a hearing officer.
CTV News Ottawa looks at what you need to know about the administrative penalty system.
What is the administrative penalty system?
The City of Ottawa says the administrative penalty system (APS) changes how 'certain bylaw violations are handled.'
'APS allows the City to manage the ticket review process independently without relying on the Provincial Offences Court.'
What is the difference between the administrative penalty system and the Provincial Offences Act?
Under the current Provincial Offences Act, parking, red light camera and photo radar camera tickets are handled in provincial courts. Provincial judges and staff manage the dispute process, and the city says there are 'long wait times' for ticket reviews.
Under the APS, tickets will be handled by screening officers and hearing officers employed by the City of Ottawa. The city says the new system will be 'faster, more flexible scheduling.'
According to the city, the administrative penalty system will reduce the delays in the provincial court system, speed up ticket reviews and 'frees up provincial court time for serious cases.'
A city report last year said the new administrative penalty system will see disputes over tickets heard within a few weeks or months and lower municipal costs by 35 per cent.
How does the system work?
When you receive a parking ticket, you will have two options under the administrative penalty system.
Pay the ticket online, by mail or at any Client Service Centre or Administrative Penalty System Service Centre
Request a review of the ticket. Within 15 days of the ticket being issued, the vehicle owner can request a review with a city screening officer by completing a request form.
When you submit a request for review with a city screening officer, the city says you should provide a written explanation and supporting documentation to demonstrate that either the offence was not committed or 'they are experiencing undue hardship.'
Screening Review
The screening review will be conducted by screening officers employed by the City of Ottawa.
'(They) have been carefully trained to conduct the 'screening' review of the penalty by following standardized, consistent, and pre-established criteria in keeping with the bylaw that governs the APS program,' the city says.
The screening officer has the authority to uphold, reduce, extend the time to pay the tie, or cancel the penalty based.
'This decision will be informed by the backup documentation from both the vehicle owner and the Parking Enforcement Officer,' the city says.
Final review by a hearing officer
The city says if a vehicle owner disagrees with the decision by the screening officer, you may request a final review with a hearing officer, who is appointed by council. The hearing officer will have 'previous experience' in the field of law, adjudication and/or in the interpretation and application of legislation, the city says.
A request for a final review by a hearing officer must be submitted with 15 days of the initial screening review's decision date.
'An in-person hearing date and time will be issued to the vehicle owner,' the city says on its website.
'The hearing officer's decision to either uphold the penalty, reduce the penalty, extend the time to pay the penalty, or cancel the penalty is final. Neither the ticket holder nor the city can appeal the decision.'
An in-person hearing will be held at the Provincial Offences Act and Administrative Penalty System Service Centre at the Mary Pitt Centre on Constellation Drive.
Ottawa plans to appoint 10 hearing officers per year, starting in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with a total of 30 hearing officers available five to 10 days per month.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
18 minutes ago
- National Post
Adam Zivo: Montreal Pride reverses shameful decision to ban Jewish groups
Article content Given that 2024 survey found that 91 per cent of Canadian Jews may be Zionists — meaning they believe that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state — implementing these demands would have amounted to a de facto ban of most of Canada's Jewish community. Article content This year, Helem launched its own alternative festival, ' Wild Pride,' which took place last week and featured a party called ' Intifada on the Dance Floor.' Notably, 'intifada' (which translates into 'uprising') is often seen as a pro-terrorism term, as Palestinian militants widely used it to describe their suicide bombing campaign against Israeli civilians in the early 2000s. Article content And this isn't the only thing that's happened behind closed doors at Montreal Pride. Article content Further behind-the-scenes context was provided by Artur Wilczynski, a Jewish LGBTQ activist and retired bureaucrat who was recruited by Montreal Pride in 2023 to help assess the applications of new board members. Article content In an interview this Saturday, Wilczynski explained that Montreal Pride's current troubles could be traced back to a 'really serious kind of institutional meltdown' that occurred in 2022. That year, the festival was abruptly canceled just hours before it was supposed to begin, as it was discovered that organizers had recruited only half of the 200 volunteers needed to provide event security. Article content Article content According to Wilczynski, the scandal pushed Montreal Pride to strictly focus on its core mandate and avoid embroilment in unrelated international conflicts. He said that the festival's leadership told him this spring that they wanted to take a cautious approach, to avoid alienating corporate and government funders. Article content From Wilczynski's understanding, the decision to ban Ga'ava and CIJA was not unanimous and 'caused a schism on the board.' The day following our interview, he publicly announced his resignation from Montreal Pride due to the 'discriminatory and indefensible' exclusion of Ga'ava, and, the day after that, the chair of Montreal Pride's board of directors, Bernard Truong, also resigned, citing 'personal reasons.' Article content The ban caused strife with some of Montreal Pride's external partners and community supporters as well. Several days ago, for example, five Liberal MPs published a joint letter urging Montreal Pride to reverse its 'profoundly hurtful' ban of Ga'ava, as it 'sends a message that Jewish identity is not welcome in LGBTQ+ spaces.' Article content Both Wilczynski and Godoy alleged that Montreal Pride's executive director, Simon Gamache, has been on sick leave since last Monday. 'Pride is rudderless and without a captain on board right now,' exclaimed Godoy. Article content However, I was unable to corroborate these claims or others about Montreal Pride's internal dynamics, as the festival did not respond to a detailed list of emailed questions. Their presenting sponsor, TD Bank, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Article content On Tuesday, it was announced that Ga'ava and CIJA would be re-invited back to the parade following discussions with the new chair of Montreal Pride. In a press release, CIJA stated that Montreal Pride 'opposes antisemitism and had no intention of excluding the Jewish community' and that 'following constructive dialogue, we accepted their apology.' Article content 'This incident — so out of step with Fierté Montréal's (Montreal Pride's) values of inclusion and respect, values that must be upheld in the broader struggle for Quebec's shared values — should never have happened,' stated the press release, which went on to acknowledge the 'thousands' of citizens, including politicians and influences, who condemned the exclusion. 'Quebec's Jewish community is glad to move forward.' Article content
National Post
18 minutes ago
- National Post
TV show celebrates bond between children and service animals
Article content Not all heroes wear capes — some of them have hoofs, snouts, feathers and manes. Service animals take the spotlight in the docuseries Collar of Duty Kids, which shows how they make a difference for children with disabilities. Article content A spinoff of Collar of Duty, it airs Mondays on AMI-tv and streams on AMI+. Executive producer Laura Lillie spoke about the series. Article content Q: How would you describe the bond between animals and children? Article content Article content A: It's symbiotic. When adults give a child a chore like setting a table, it's quite authoritarian. But when it's their animal bestie — who is literally opening doors for them or bringing them joy — it's more of an exchange between equals. The animals then gently reflect the child's potential for greatness back to them. Article content Q: What did you learn about lesser-known service animals, like chickens? Article content A: Emotional support chickens were a surprise — especially since they were for a girl with Type 1 diabetes. But when you experience the story, it makes sense. We also feature a girl in New Brunswick who has ADHD and has found confidence and purpose through her birds — chickens, ducks and the most affectionate and cuddly turkey I've ever witnessed. Article content Q: What story impacted you the most? Article content A: A trans teen on the East Coast might be our most important story. When I think about how dark it can get for some young people because of bullying and alienation, nothing is more important than finding a lifeline. For this teen, it was goats — and one goat in particular. This goat had also been bullied by other goats. And these two kids, pun intended, found each other. Article content Article content Q: What's the biggest challenge in the animal service field? Article content A: Service animals are skill based, whereas emotional support or therapy animals are more about offering comfort and companionship. Certified service animals are trained to detect low blood sugar in people with diabetes, respond to seizure activity, or open doors, remove clothing, and bark for help for people with mobility challenges. The biggest challenge I see are claims that an animal has a service designation when it doesn't. Article content
CTV News
18 minutes ago
- CTV News
Trump might not trust the jobs data, but Wall Street and economists do
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
