New Parking Policy at Nova Scotia’s Biggest Hospitals

After weeks of complaints, staff at Nova Scotia’s biggest hospitals will once again be able to park at work without facing excessive fees. Parking has been a contentious issue at the Halifax Infirmary and Victoria General sites for years, but tensions escalated when the province announced parking would be free as of May 1.

Previously, staff were informed that they could no longer park at the hospitals due to limited spaces, with priority given to patients. This led to some employees arriving significantly earlier for their shifts to secure parking in the busy downtown area. Those who parked at work were charged $6 an hour, totaling $72 for a day shift. The NSGEU, the union representing many workers at the hospital, highlighted that some support staff were spending nearly half of their salaries on parking.

In response to the outcry, Nova Scotia Health announced in a memo to staff that 175 free spaces will be opened for employees who present their ID to parking attendants. This change will take effect on Tuesday. Additionally, the health authority is reverting to the previous parking fees, with a cap of $14.50 for employees who use the lots during peak hours but are not in staff-designated spaces.

The memo also mentioned collaboration with the province to enforce a hefty fine of $500 per day for unauthorized individuals found parking at hospitals. However, details on the implementation of this new fine were not provided. It is important to note that these changes do not apply to the IWK Health Centre, which operates under a different health authority.