According to Reinventing Parking, our cars sit idle for 95 per cent of their lives. This means that we need a proper place to store them when they are not being used. The nature of the demand for parking spaces has created a collection of rules and defines the urgency for their enforcement.
At the most basic are the rules that cover the entire province contained in the Motor Vehicle Act.
If the parking rules are not followed, the police are given authority to remove the offending vehicle from the highway. If it is left on private property, the authority to remove the vehicle rests with the occupier of the property.
Municipalities have the authority to control stopping, standing and parking of vehicles within their boundaries.
Generally you will find them in a parking, street or traffic bylaw which can be accessed on line.
One common caveat is that zoning bylaws may also control the parking of vehicles.
Most often this regulates if and when one can park recreation or commercial vehicles on residential property.
Finally, at the micro level you may need to know about strata bylaws. I once had my vehicle towed because I had visited a friend in an apartment building and did not know that I was required to use designated visitor parking spaces even though the parking lot was half empty.
Tim Schewe is a retired constable with many years of traffic law enforcement. To comment or learn more, please visit DriveSmartBC.ca