Canada Post says it is now telling its delivery drivers to stop parking in bike lanes in Toronto after a parking enforcement officer called out the company on Twitter.
Toronto Parking Enforcement officer Kyle Ashley recently sent out a series of tweets where he criticized drivers, including Canada Post employees, for blocking bike lanes around the city.
Nothing ruins that #BikeTO #FridayFeeling here in Toronto...except when @canadaposthelps blocks the bikelane at Spadina and College. pic.twitter.com/27KiKGNKRU
— PEO K. Ashley (@TPS_ParkingPal) July 21, 2017
.@canadaposthelps the other day I was called a jerk. Today... This driver ... Used more colorful language. Calling me f'ing idiot. #BikeTO pic.twitter.com/ZbkqVCAEq0
— PEO K. Ashley (@TPS_ParkingPal) July 21, 2017
Speaking to CP24 on Monday, Ashley said 90 per cent of the “most egregious” offenders he sees are couriers.
“We see couriers blocking them to make a delivery and I’m saying people before post,” Ashley said.
“What ends up happening is you force a cyclist who is out of their dedicated lane into a live lane of traffic. Cyclists do not have airbags, vehicles do.”
In a statement released by Canada post this week, the company said it “understands the concerns raised regarding safety and bike safety.”
“As a result, we are instructing our employees to not park in bike lanes in the City of Toronto. For pickups or deliveries, they are expected to find a safe location to park their vehicle. If a safe parking location is not available, our employees are expected to avoid the stop, continue on their route and return any undelivered items to the depot,” the statement read.
“Any problem areas are to be reported to their Supervisor so that a safety assessment can be immediately conducted to find the best alternative to serve the affected areas.”
The company also asked the city to work with couriers to find “long-term solutions.”
Toronto police acknowledged this week that their own officers are sometimes guilty of illegally parking in bike lanes for inappropriate reasons.
Twitter user @travmyers posted a photo on the social media site with a caption that read, “These cops parked 30 mins outside Paramount Foods on Bay in bike lane. Came in got dinner. They’re allowed to break the law?”
There are times we have good reason to be exempt from parking laws.
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) July 25, 2017
This is not 1 of those times.#bikeTO ^vk 1/2
https://t.co/cvmoRCAjo3