Watch your back in the parking lot at DC and UOIT

Those whose work involves issuing parking tickets have jobs that practically no one appreciates. Some drivers receive tickets after breaking a rule unintentionally. So here’s a reminder to all those parking at Durham College and UOIT – tickets are still a reality and rules remain enforced.

At Durham College and UOIT, there are two different sorts of parking tickets, according to Ross Carnwith, manager of ancillary services on campus.

“We have gated lots, where you’re given a prox card. It’s like a security card where you just beep and the gate rises. Some of our lots are hangtag, where you leave a hangtag in the rearview mirror.”

According to Carnwith, tickets given for not paying for and displaying a hang tag are issued by a company called Precise Parklink.

The other kind of ticket is enforced by the City of Oshawa, put in specifically if a driver parks in “a fire route or an accessibility spot.”

There are ongoing issues involving parking in the roundabout at the South Village residence. Many cars park in the fire route, especially on Friday and Sunday nights.

Drivers are still allowed to stop their cars briefly in the roundabout, as long as a driver stays in the car. If left unattended, the fine equals a $100 ticket enforced by the City of Oshawa.

“We as a residence are trying to figure out a better way [than the No Parking signs] because that is the most convenient spot to park, being closest to the door,” said Nicole MacGregor, South Village Residence lead.

Carnwith is aware of the South Village roundabout controversy and put together a project on Labour Day when people were moving into the South Village, with students instructing drivers not to park in the roundabout during the school year.

Campus Security, which issues tickets, has been ordered to crack down harder on tickets, Carnwith said. He also said security has been looking at tailgating, when one car follows another car and sneaks in or out of a gated lot before the road barrier comes down after the car in front has paid. If Campus Security notices this, according to Carnwith, the driver will receive an invoice in the mail and a fine.

If you are caught tailgating a third time, Carnwith said the vehicle will be towed off grounds.

“We’ve towed a few vehicles because of this over the last few years,” he said.

These are not the only possible punishments, either. According to Dominic Willock of Campus Security, parking in a handicap spot can result in a fine as high as $300, and being caught with a fraudulent hang tag can have a fine in the thousands.