No more free parking for most at hospitals, other health-care facilities in B.C.

The free pandemic parking at health-care facilities in British Columbia is coming to an end for most people, March 4.

Since April 1, 2020, $78 million in parking fees has been waived at health authority parking lots across the province, according to a Ministry of Health media release.

Pay parking will ensure there are spots available for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors, while free parking can continue for individuals who regularly receive treatments in acute-care settings, the ministry said.

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"Maintaining across-the-board free hospital parking is making it hard for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors to find a spot, as non-hospital users are taking advantage of the situation to park for free while conducting business that’s not hospital-related," Health Minister Adrian Dix said in the release. "These hospital parking spots must be available for those who need them most."

Free parking at provincial healthcare facilities will continue for individuals receiving dialysis treatment, undergoing cancer treatment and for parents or caregivers of children staying overnight in the hospital.

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

The ministry said parking rates, which have been the same for more than four years, will not increase at this time.

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