B C Hospital Parking

Hospitals are free, however parking is costly.   During the NDP’s weekend convention in Victoria, delegates called on the province to eliminate parking fees for patients and families. They asked that this be done in an evidence-based way to prevent abuse by those who are not patients or family members, such as people working or visiting other locations near hospitals.

A resolution passed by delegates called hospital parking fees “a hardship during some of the most stressful moments in a family’s life.” It said they “give private companies the chance to profit from parking violations incurred by sick or grieving people using a publicly run service.”

Jon Buss, founder and lead volunteer of HospitalPayParking.ca, reports that B.C. collected a whopping $36,388,000. Last year, the province collected $34,441,000, which was $1,947,000 less than this year. As such, the province saw a 5.65% increase over the previous year, which Buss notes is well above the rate of inflation.

That's in parking fees, however my cousin Laurie visits her mom at Laurel Place close to Surrey Hospital and it has the same parking costs.  Look at the cost of one hour.  The TAX is 30%.  This is disgusting!

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the elimination of hospital parking fees is a complicated issue that he is reviewing with Premier John Horgan. But he’s not promising any action.

Another promise on the back burner!