Habil Fereydouni’s career as a commuter has gone full-circle.
Once one of thousands of Montrealers stuck in gridlock everyday, he’s now tasked with alleviating that traffic as part of the city’s mobility squad.
He knows firsthand the frustrations of those he’s trying to help.
“It could be something as simple as a car parked somewhere they’re not supposed to,” he said.
CTV reporter Kelly Greig accompanied Fereydouni on one of his traffic runs on Monday.
Almost immediately, he spotted someone parked illegally on the corner of Viger and Beaver Hall streets.
It took 30 minutes and the arrival of a police officer before the truck moved to another spot.
That's an interaction Fereydouni has several times a day.
For now, the squad operates in the Ville-Marie, Sud-Ouest, and Plateau Mont-Royal boroughs.
The group has a fast-track line to police and tow trucks for illegally parked cars, and can modify parking hours or zoning in areas of high concern.
The six team members survey 100,000 cars.
“We all have our territories and we start to really get to know them,” he said. “We know where the problem areas are going to be.”
Altogether, the squad will cost the city and province over $1 million.
