A new way to dispute parking fines is coming to Yellowknife.
The municipal government is aiming to make the process of addressing parking violations simpler to ease stress on the court system.
A new process known as an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS), initially presented at a city meeting in September 2019, is expected to be introduced by late this year. It will mean residents request a hearing through the city if they wish to dispute a parking ticket instead of going to justice of the peace court for those matters.
The new system would benefit the city by reducing the time its municipal enforcement officers spend serving summons and appearing in court, so they can focus efforts elsewhere.
The process is also billed as “more efficient, user-friendly and less intimidating” for the public.
The city issued 5,859 parking tickets in 2021, said Kerry Thistle, director of economic development and strategy for the municipality. The city seldom winds up in court over such disputes, however — about one trial every six months, on average, Thistle estimated.
AMPS would be effective in cutting down wait times for individuals looking to dispute tickets, who may not have their matter come up in court for up to a year, according to city meeting notes. Under AMPS, disputed matters should be addressed within two to three months.
As well, if individuals are convicted due to an error, the existing process of appealing their case is complex, whereas AMPS would resolve the errors more efficiently, according to the municipality.
Thistle assured that a “detailed communications plan” will be part of the system’s arrival, informing residents of exactly how the process will work.