Locals and visitors have been unexpectedly detoured, towed and denied transit access at the Squamish transit bus hub over the past week due to a variety of miscommunications and misunderstandings.
Wal Mart management decided to begin enforcing their three-hour parking limit by towing vehicles this week after hordes of drivers began using their lot only to board a bus and spend the entire day at Olympic venues.
Signs throughout the lot warn drivers that parking is for customers only and is limited to three hours. Wal Mart manager Neville Namiranian said there's been a noticeable longer and increased use of the lot, so staff began placing warning tickets on vehicles that were parked for longer than three hours.
Staff allow for a longer grace period, said Namiranian, but after a certain point, vehicles will get towed.
"If we let people park for Whistler, we have no spots for customers," he said.
At least one locally-based Whistler worker has lodged a complaint over being towed.
"I walked around the lot, noticed some small signs stating a three-hour limit for parking lot use and to customers only. There was absolutely no mention of being towed or that the towing fee would be $100! I cannot afford this kind of fee; this was my entire day's pay from Sunday," stated Robin Minty in a letter of complaint.
Namiranian said several drivers told Wal Mart staff they'd been told to park at the store and hop on a bus by highway permit checkpoint personnel who had turned them around at Alice Lake. Staff alerted the police of the problem, and were told the misunderstanding would be rectified, but the drivers kept coming with the same story.
Miller Capilano is manning the checkpoint, and a company administrator told The Chief the business had been unaware that their workers were misdirecting drivers, and the situation would be corrected.
Problems began immediately for the direct Callaghan Valley shuttle when, on Friday (Feb. 12), at least 100 Vancouver ticket holders drove to Squamish hoping to board the locals-only bus.
Plans backfired when the spectators discovered their limited options, and found themselves with a much longer trip than anticipated.
"Today approximately 100 spectators drove to Squamish instead of travelling on the Olympic bus network or private motor coach and either missed or were late for their event as a result," stated VANOC in a subsequent public advisory.
"VANOC reiterates that driving to Squamish is contrary to our TravelSmart 2010 program and will result in disappointment to ticket holders."
In the release, issued the day of the Games' official launch, VANOC reasserted its transportation plan for Metro Vancouver.
"Over the last two months we have emphasized that the only options for the Metro Vancouver-based spectators travelling to events in Whistler on day-of competition is the Olympic bus network or private motor coach services from departure points in Metro Vancouver," stated the release.
Lower Mainland ticket holders expressed frustration at having to drive to distant Metro Vancouver locations to board buses because tickets to closer established pick up points are sold out.
