Paid parking seemed to have caught a few people off-guard in downtown Cobourg.
Paid parking was reinstated on Thursday, March 4, 2021.
On Thursday and Friday at least 51 parking tickets were issued in the downtown area.
Cobourg councillor Adam Bureau who also owns a business downtown told Today’s Northumberland during the first lock down council agreed to waive parking fees and extended that to the end of 2020 to help downtown businesses.
“When the second lock down happened, council agreed to extend the free parking. So now that we’re open for business parking is now paid parking.”
Bureau said the town did its very best to notify people that paid parking would be reinstated through social media and ads.
With the hoods to the meters being removed earlier in the week, it would have also given people indication that parking was going to be enforced.
“It gave a chance for staff and by-law officers to check the meters, change the batteries and make sure they are all in good working condition.”
A number of people vented their frustration to Bureau on Thursday and Friday after receiving tickets on their vehicle windshield, “but the town did give out press releases and it was on the news.”
“Understandably nobody likes getting a parking ticket. I’ve got them myself, but it is paid parking just to let everybody know.”