HRM staff is looking into a request to ease up issuing parking tickets downtown during the transit strike.

Parking downtown was tricky at times Thursday, said Downtown Coun. Dawn Sloane, who made the request to staff. She said several people were parking in loading zones and tickets were issued accordingly.

“Don’t park illegally. Period. Exclamation point,” Sloane said. “Just because there’s a bus strike does not mean you have the full reign of the road.”

Staff will also be looking into finding more parking spaces and how to relieve the congestion.

“It’s understandable people are upset and are trying to find any means possible to get around and that is fine, but there’s a reason we have laws,” Sloane said.

Staff outside the IWK lot were handing leaflets to motorists asking that only patients, family and staff park there. But Nick Cox, IWK spokesman, said it was a typical Thursday in terms of volume.