Vaudreuil resident says AMT parking hogged by non-commuters

Louise Beauregard is having a tough time finding a spot at her commuter train station parking lot these days.

So the Vaudreuil woman is asking the commuter train authority in the Montreal region, the AMT, to crack down on drivers who park at train stations but do not take the train.

She normally takes the 11:30 a.m. train from Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue station to work in downtown Montreal every day.

But Beauregard has noticed more students taking up parking at the station's parking lot.

"Students at John Abbott College are parking in our parking lot and then they walk to the nearby college and that's totally wrong," said Beauregard.

The AMT says it is looking into the issue, but it doesn't have the authority to ticket drivers even if the lot is reserved for train users.

AMT should make more of an effort

"Maybe they could do something with the city that if they see someone parking there who has no business being there, then they can call the city to ticket them," Beauregard said.

Beauregard also wants nearby colleges to offer more free parking for students.

Now, Beauregard has to make alternate plans.

Her husband has rearranged his work schedule so he can drive her to and from the station.