Vernon Jubilee Hospital. (File photo/Vernon Matters)

By Pete McIntyre

As of March 4

Parking fees return to health sites in B.C.

Jan 20, 2022 | 2:16 PM

Parking fees will return at hospitals and other B.C. health authority sites as of March 4.

The fees have been waived since April 1, 2020, which the province says has amounted to $78 million in waived parking fees.

Health minister Adrian Dix says charging for parking again will ensure that spots are available for actual hospital users.

“Maintaining across-the-board free hospital parking is making it hard for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors to find a spot, as non-hospital users are taking advantage of the situation to park for free while conducting business that’s not hospital related,” Dix explained. “These hospital parking spots must be available for those who need them most.”

Free parking at provincial health-care facilities will continue for patients receiving dialysis treatment or undergoing cancer treatment in acute-care programs, and for parents or caregivers of children staying in the hospital overnight.

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Volunteers will still be able to park for free, and financial hardship provisions will continue to be managed on a case-by-case basis by health authorities.

Parking rates have been frozen for more than four years, which will continue.

Pay-parking stations are being modernized to make greater use of technology so patients and visitors can manage their parking without returning to their vehicles or using a meter.

• Health authorities are introducing touch-free payment options and apps to make the process safer and convenient.
• For people without a smartphone or who choose not to use an app, additional parking terminals have been installed in common areas of some acute-care hospitals and other locations so parking can be managed without returning to a vehicle.
• Health authorities will continue using methods that were already in place to allow free parking such as dash passes, e-coupons or reimbursement.