Posted:
Halifax Regional Police and Halifax District RCMP are actively assisting Halifax Regional Municipality Winter Operations and enforcing the Motor Vehicle Act as required.
The Motor Vehicle Act prohibits you from parking on the street if you’re obstructing snow removal, regardless of the time of day. Please make every effort to park your vehicle off the street. If your car is on the street and hampering snow removal, you may be ticketed and/or towed.
Police officers are also blocking streets to facilitate Winter Operations’ efforts and allow them to work safely and effectively. As part of this effort, we’re determining which vehicles may need to be ticketed and/or towed in a strategic and targeted manner.
Cars parked on your street? Should you call us? Ask yourself: Is the parked car causing a safety issue? Is it making the road impassable? Is it impeding snow operations in the moment? If you answered yes to any of these three questions, call 902-490-5020 for a police officer to be dispatched. We will prioritize these calls and respond accordingly. Please note that this is a non-emergency police dispatch line and shouldn’t be called simply because there’s a car parked on your street. Please remember you should only call 9-1-1 for a life-threatening situation or crime in-progress.
Here are some other safety tips to get you through the latest winter wallop:
- Clear the snow from your vehicle’s windows before travelling. While not required by law, please clear the ‘iceberg’ from the roof of your vehicle so it’s not a hazard for other drivers.
- Ensure children aren’t playing on snowbanks lining our roads as this presents a very hazardous situation.
- If you have to walk on the street, please dress in bright and/or reflective clothing and walk facing traffic.
- Don’t shovel/plow snow from your property into the street. Not only is this a bylaw infraction, it also poses a safety hazard.
- Look out for one another. We’re all in this together so it’s a nice touch to check on your neighbours, especially those who are elderly or shut-in, and help someone shovel who may need assistance.
We ask for your understanding as we work to assist Winter Operations as they clear the roads and sidewalks. We’re dealing with an extraordinary situation that requires patience and perseverance on the part of everyone involved.