Municipalities across the province are installing charging stations, and now the city of St. John’s is taking steps to make sure they can properly monitor their usage. The city is considering amendments to its ticketing and parking regulations to effectively give them the power to ticket vehicles parked at charging stations that aren’t using the spot to charge their vehicle. The city is proposing a $60 fine for such a violation. The process would work in sync with something similar to pay-by-phone, where the driver pays for a specific amount of time and a specific fee, allowing law enforcement personnel to determine if the vehicle has stayed for the specified amount of time. Councilor Maggie Burton explains that such stations are meant to have turnover and are not necessarily for long-term use. He likens it to using a friend’s phone charger while out — people use it for a little extra juice while they have their own chargers at home.
