Dozens of vehicles towed as illegal parking blitz begins in Toronto

A police officer speaks with a driver in Toronto on Monday, Jan. 5, 2014.

Nearly 30 vehicles were towed during morning rush hour on Monday as part of the city's crackdown on drivers who disobey parking bylaws, according to Toronto Mayor John Tory.

Monday's blitz was part of the city's new zero-tolerance approach to vehicles parked illegally during rush hour.

Instead of being ticketed, vehicles parked along major roads during morning and afternoon rush hours will be towed away at the owner's expense, without exception.

Drivers are not permitted to park on most major streets from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Drivers who would normally face a $150 parking ticket could now have to pay up to $230 to get their vehicle back, and delivery truck drivers may be charged up to $1,000.

Tory said he hopes no one will be towed, but the new policy will underline the impact illegal parking has on traffic congestion in a city already struggling with gridlock.

"If you get your truck or your car towed a couple of times, maybe just once, I think that's enough to change behaviour," Tory said as he circled the city in the CTV News helicopter, getting an aerial view of the downtown traffic flow.

At a news conference Monday morning, Tory said at least 18 vehicles had been towed as of 9 a.m. An hour later, Toronto police tweeted that 29 vehicles had been towed in the three-hour blitz. Police said there were 70 parking tickets and 12 provincial offence notices handed out from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

"Over time, through a combination of disrespect for existing laws and a failure to enforce them, our laws have become a joke," Tory said.

"In the process, the traffic has become a nightmare. When we say 'zero tolerance for those who block traffic,' we are saying that we insist on making things better for people who work and do business and live in the city."

During the conference, the mayor praised Canada Post, which announced changes to pick-up and delivery times on Monday morning. The mail service said drivers will attempt to shift stop times downtown to off-peak hours.

The policy fulfilled Tory's election promise that bylaw breakers would be towed. Tory vowed to keep traffic moving during rush hour last month, "if I have to chip in and drive a tow truck myself."

What to do if your car gets towed in Toronto

In a statement issued Monday, Toronto police reminded drivers that vehicles are impounded for various reasons in addition to being parked illegally during rush hour.

If your car is not where you left it, police advise following these steps:

Police warn that storage fees are based on the time a vehicle spends in the lot. The storage yards used by Toronto police charge between $50 and $80 per day, and drivers will also have to pay a towing fee of between $149 and $165.