Regina, Saskatchewan — Vehicles in Regina have begun receiving ‘barnacles’ on their windshields in place of wheel locks or boots for parking violations.
Not an under-the-sea-feature, but a yellow-windshield-covering-device, the barnacle ensures that drivers pay any outstanding driving fines by acting as a driving deterrent and blocking the windshield until a driver has paid.
The device specifically functions by using commercial-grade suction cups which latch onto the windshield with more than 450 kilograms of force. From here, the barnacle can only be removed if a driver uses a QR code listed on the device to pay their fines.
Colin Heffron, Chairman of Barnacle Parking, originally told CTV News that “you will see more and more barnacles” popping up on Canadian streets.
CTV News further reported that a private company in Ontario has signed on to use barnacles, and the University of Regina has begun deploying the device for people who continuously fail to pay their fines.
Paul Dederick, a university spokesperson with Regina, told CTV News in an emailed statement that “it is important to note that the barnacle is only used as a last resort,” and is only used after an extensive review process in response to persistent parking violations.
The device is favoured by the university because it is less invasive than towing or a parking boot.
Unfortunately, for those who receive a barnacle on their vehicle, the only way to truly remove it is to take out the vehicle’s windshield. If someone were to try and remove the device themselves, it would instead trigger an alarm.
While the device is only just beginning to enter into the Canadian market, Heffron assured CTV News that it has been tested and can withstand cold climates.
The company concluded that it is “100 percent prepared to service Canada.”
