Saskatoon explores options for cracking down on unpaid parking tickets

A Saskatoon parking pay station is pictured in this file photo.

City of Saskatoon administration is looking at new options for collecting unpaid parking tickets.

Over the past seven years, there has been an increase in the share of unpaid parking tickets relative to the value of the total number of tickets issued per year, according to a report to be received as information at Monday's transportation committee meeting.

Last year that share rose to a high of 14.8 per cent — $548,781.66 in unpaid fines out of around $3.7 million total, the report said.

One option, hiring a second “Boot Crew” to seek out offenders with two or more outstanding fines and immobilize their vehicles, would have a capital cost of $75,000 and an annual operating cost of $177,000.

As of February 2022, 9,837 vehicle owners were in what is called “scofflaw status.” However, only 866 owners both have an address in Saskatoon and have an active vehicle registration. Those 866 people owe outstanding fines of $223,612.

The city can't pursue vehicle seizures on owners with no active registrations and it is cost-prohibitive to pursue owners and impound vehicles outside of Saskatoon.

Other ideas raised by the administration include: