ManitobaThe Winnipeg Parking Authority is considering making it possible for the public to report on illegally parked vehicles, allowing people to snap and submit photos in an idea panned by critics who worry about angry confrontations.Winnipeg Parking Authority wants to ‘explore a photo-based public reporting system’CBC News · Posted: Dec 04, 2025 2:34 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Reporting a parking violation could lead to a dangerous encounter, critics say. (Lyza Sale/CBC)The Winnipeg Parking Authority is considering making it possible for the public to report illegally parked vehicles by submitting photos.It’s pitching the idea to a city hall committee next week, saying it wants to, “explore a photo-based public reporting system for parking violations,” according to a report about the upcoming meeting.The proposal prompted raised eyebrows from Coun. Janice Lukes, chair of the city’s public works committee that will hear it on Monday.”What I’ve come to learn at city hall is it’s always best to hear the whole story before really forming an opinion on it,” she said.”But if we’re interpreting this to be residents taking pictures of other residents doing bad things or things in violation, that sounds like sort of an interesting rabbit hole to go down — tattletale, Big Brother, I don’t know.”I just see that as a recipe for disaster, at first glance, not knowing any details. That’s the perspective I have.”Lukes isn’t sure what’s driving the proposal or where it came from, and questions how something like that might work.”I’m a real supporter of enforcing rules and a real supporter of tickets and fines, but this is a little much for even me to support and to agree to. To actually be taking pictures and then having the tickets enforced, I don’t know how that legally could be done,” she said.”Now, that being said, I have to listen to what the department’s saying. It’s always interesting to hear where these ideas come from.”Waverley West Coun. Janice Lukes says there are still many questions around the proposal. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)There are “several things to consider,” she said, including whether the photos are submitted anonymously.”If so how does that work if the violator challenged the ticket in court — would the anonymous person have to appear? And with AI, can a photo even be believed?”Those questions are “probably why they put ‘exploring’ in there,” Lukes said. “So we’ll explore it on Monday and see what they have to say about how they plan to explore it further.”Lukes said she’s also concerned about safety implications for those reporting a violation. People can get extremely upset at parking officials, who are trained in dealing with that aggression, she said.”I can’t fathom what would happen if residents are taking pictures of residents and someone comes along and sees that happening.”Former Winnipeg police officer Len Eastoe echoed that concern.”I don’t think we should be putting the public in that sort of a position or encouraging them that way. I just don’t think we need it,” said Eastoe, who heads up Traffic Ticket Experts, a company that helps people fight Highway Traffic Act tickets in court.”You want to issue more tickets, then hire more staff. I don’t think we want to put people in any sort of confrontation with another citizen just because we can’t get our parking authority people out there to deal with it on time,” he said.”There’s certainly going to be some hoops they’re going to have to jump through with this.”CBC News reached out to the Winnipeg Parking Authority but has not heard back.’Seems kind of mean-spirited’Some Winnipeggers CBC talked to in the Exchange District on Thursday were unsure about the idea.It “seems kind of mean-spirited,” said Fiona Lamont, adding she would consider submitting a photo if someone’s parking was interfering with the public.”Otherwise, nah,” she said. “If there’s someone with a job to do that, then let’s leave it to them.”Robert Lowe worries some people would abuse the system.”If I hated you and I know where you park, and I’m sending a picture every day, hopefully the system would sort that out.”Robert Lowe says he hopes the proposed measure would be able to weed out people with bad intentions. (CBC)Ziad Dlishi, who spends his days driving and delivering medications, says bad parking jobs are a constant sight along his routes.Although he thinks the reporting is a good idea, he’s not sure whether people will do it.”If you have time to do it, why not?” Dlishi said. “I work, so I don’t have time to.”WATCH | Winnipeggers could soon report illegal parking with a snap of a photo:Winnipeggers could soon report illegal parking with a snap of a photoThe Winnipeg Parking Authority says it wants to explore a system that would make it possible for members of the public to report illegally parked vehicles by submitting photos, but reaction to the idea from people CBC talked to on Thursday was mixed.CorrectionsAn earlier version of this story indicated Traffic Ticket Experts helps people fight parking tickets. In fact, the company focuses only on tickets under the Highway Traffic Act.Dec 04, 2025 4:05 PM ESTWith files from Meaghan Ketcheson and Felisha Adam
Having public submit photos to snitch on parking violators a ‘recipe for disaster’: councillor
