Winnipeggers are asking for a parking ban despite the lack of snow to clear

A Winnipeg man is questioning why his car was towed during the annual winter route parking ban despite the snow not being cleared.

Beau Neufeld and his roommate woke up Tuesday morning to find their car, parked in a snowy driveway, had been towed during the curfew.

“They took him straight to the detention center so I had to go down this morning after $150 to find a car and bring him back. I still have a ticket in the mail that I have to pay for,” Neufeld told CTV News Winnipeg.

Bo Neufeld is pictured during an interview on February 6, 2024. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)

The winter shuttle parking ban went into effect on Jan. 16 as crews cleared a large snowbank.

Three weeks later, it still hasn't gone up.

Neufeld doesn't think the tow was fair given the lack of snow, and also feels like it's a cash grab from the city.

“I could wake up, get a ticket, get a slap on the wrist and be told, 'Don't stand here even if it's not snowing.' That's one thing. I can get behind that, but taking people's cars out of the way for snowplows that aren't here? It seems a little ridiculous to me.'

In the meantime, the city says Winnipeggers must obey the ban regardless of the weather or risk being ticketed and towed.

These crews are engaged in ice control activities almost at night and can work more efficiently if the main routes are clear of vehicles.

This often happens on streets cleared of snow.

– With The Taylor Brock Files on CTV