The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) plans to repaint parking lines at the province’s largest hospital following a patient’s parking complaint. On Aug. 23, Nasrullah Kahn got a $70 ticket at Royal University Hospital. He paid for 24 hours of parking, and after spending just 10 hours in the emergency department, he was surprised to see the ticket on his windshield. “I was shocked,” Kahn told CTV News. The ticket wasn’t for exceeding paid parking time – it was for occupying more than one stall. Kahn took pictures of where he parked, showing the lines barely visible. “I said, ‘This is not my fault. There is no line,’” Kahn explained. Kahn said the $70 ticket was reduced to $25. After CTV News took on his story, Kahn said the ticket was voided. While he won’t have to pay a fine, Kahn worries that until the lines are adequately painted, another driver could end up in a similar situation. He said other patients may not have the time or ability to challenge a ticket like he did. “It’s not my issue — it’s for everybody else,” Kahn said. The SHA said it has “identified necessary improvements to the existing parkade, including re-painting of stall lines and addition of lines to the concrete wall in front of all parking stalls to ensure clear spacing between spots.” “The SHA does not track the number of tickets issued in situations where parking stall lines are not clearly visible. Tickets related to this issue are rarely issued and only when a parking infraction is clearly evident,” the health authority told CTV News in an email. The SHA said it “does its best to consider an individual’s specific situation” when reviewing ticket disputes. “Parkade lighting, an individual’s urgency for care and whether this is their first parking infraction are all taken into consideration,” the SHA said.
