Winter Parking Ban Begins Dec. 18

The province's winter parking ban takes effect Monday, Dec. 18 in many communities throughout Nova Scotia.

The Winter Parking Regulations help crews from the Department of Transportation and Public Works clear roads quickly and safely after snow storms.

The regulations apply to drivers in communities in 14 municipalities and do not allow parking on roads maintained by the department between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. Drivers are also restricted from parking vehicles on highways and streets from one hour after a snowstorm begins to two hours after it has stopped.

A complete list of communities with restricted parking will be carried in newspaper ads, and is available by clicking Winter Parking Regulations on the department's website at http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran .

Some people are exempt from the parking ban, including:

• doctors parked near their offices or homes and who are on call
• on-duty members of police and fire departments and Armed Forces
• commercial drivers in the process of loading and unloading
• drivers of public utility vehicles parked at, or near, their homes and who may be required to make emergency calls.

Drivers who ignore the Winter Parking Regulations face penalties under the Motor Vehicle Act.

The winter parking ban is in effect until March 31, 2007.