Municipalities across the province are installing charging stations, and now the city of St. John’s is taking steps to make sure they can properly monitor their use.

The city is considering amendments to its ticketing bylaw and parking regulations to essentially give them the authority to ticket vehicles parked at charging stations that are not using the spot to charge their vehicle.

The city is proposing a $60 fine for such an offense.

The process would work in sync with something similar to pay-by-phone whereby the driver pays for a certain amount of time and a certain charge, allowing enforcement personnel to determine whether the vehicle has stayed over their allotted time.

Councillor Maggie Burton explains that such stations are intended to have a turnover and are not necessarily for long-term use.

She likens it to using a friend’s phone charger while out — people use it for a bit of extra juice while they have their own chargers at home.