COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- On October 1 the city of Colonial Heights took a zero-tolerance stance on vehicles parked in fire lanes and allowed both police and the fire department command staff to write citations. And now the city is telling CBS 6 that hundreds of tickets have been written due to the policy.
"There have been several incidents where fire, police have been required to get to a business and have been hindered by a vehicle," Sergeant Greg Thinnes explained to CBS 6 senior reporter Wayne Covil.
In just the first 18 days of the new policy, police say 131 citations were written. Now three months later, that total is up to 576.
"A $50 fee for the parking violation, I believe if it's not paid within the five-day period, it doubles the fine to $100," Sergeant Thinnes clarified.
But the fine, for some, isn't a big enough deterrent to stop drivers from pulling over into the fire lane. "I come here probably once or twice a week and I don't see any change," described Edwin Sierra who tells CBS 6 he is frustrated by the fire lane blockages.
Both police and firefighters confirmed to CBS 6 that most drivers have the same excuse when being ticketed. "We usually hear a common excuse, I'm just running in for a moment," said Sergeant Thinnes.
Colonial Heights police add that it is still illegal to park in a fire lane even if your hazard lights are on.
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