Hospital parking fees return in March after two-year suspension

After a two-year suspension, the province is bringing back hospital pay parking starting March 4, blaming non-hospital users for taking advantage of the pandemic initiative, introduced in the spring of 2020.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the courtesy was effective and appreciated but cited “non-hospital users” for taking advantage of the freebie “while conducting business that’s not hospital related.”

“These hospital parking spots must be available for those who need them most,” Dix said. “The challenge over time as we’ve come back to full utilization is that people can’t find a parking space often at many of our hospitals,” said Dix.

Parking fees were suspended April 1, 2020, on the heels of COVID-19 being declared a pandemic, to reduce risk of possible transmission from touching screens and buttons at payment kiosks and to avoid crowding in kiosk lines. The Provincial Health Services Authority at the same time temporarily suspended payroll deductions for parking fees.

The B.C. government said just over $78 million in parking fees have been waived since April 1, 2020. The parking rates, frozen for four years, will go unchanged.

Parking fees are being re-introduced to ensure parking spots are available for patients, staff, and volunteers, said Dix, noting he received “hundreds” of complaints from people who were not being able to find a spot.

Free parking at provincial health-care facilities will continue for patients receiving dialysis treatment or undergoing cancer treatment in acutecare programs, and for parents or caregivers of children staying in hospital overnight.

Volunteers will still be able to park for free, and financial hardship provisions will continue to be managed on a case-by-case basis by health authorities, the Health Ministry said.

Methods that were in place in 2020 to allow free parking such as dash passes, e-coupons or reimbursement will also continue.

In cases where there is a need or people are in hospital for a long time, health authorities can waive parking fees.

The minister said health authorities are modernizing the payment system with touchfree options and apps to make the process safer and more convenient. “A lot of people had trouble paying for their parking, which was a source of frustration,” he said.