What are no parking and no stopping zones?

We’ve corresponded with Town of Oakville staff to help clarify this question.

At schools, recreation centres and commercial sites there will be no parking zones and sometimes no stopping zones. These zones may be on the site and/or on neighbouring streets.

No parking zones (a “P” with a line through it) mean that vehicles can be in these zones but must be manned in a “standing” position, that is, the driver must be in the vehicle ready to move it. You cause a violation if you leave your vehicle parked in the zone.

No stopping zones (a stop sign with a line through it) are more restrictive than no parking zones in that the vehicle is not allowed to stop in these zones even if the driver remains in the vehicle ready to move it.

No parking zones are often in place for fire routes. It is the responsibility of the facility operator to maintain an unobstructed fire route so that it is accessible for fire department vehicles. For example, at a school, the school administration is responsible for having operational protocols in place, such as informing parents of the requirement to remain with their vehicle and to be prepared to vacate the area, using by-law enforcement in dealing with infractions, etc.

No stopping zones or no parking zones on Town streets are not the responsibility of the facility operator but rather fall to by-law enforcement.

If you are concerned with non-compliance in no stopping zones or no parking zones, contact the facility operator or Town by-law enforcement. The Town of Oakville directs that, if you observe a vehicle parking in a prohibited area (signed "No Parking" or "No Stopping"), you can call the Town during regular business hours ( Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, 905-845-6601) to request that a Parking Control Officer be dispatched and after hours and on weekends a Parking Control Officer can be dispatched through Halton Regional Police Services (call 905-878-5511).