Parking complaints lead to increased enforcement

Hundreds of drivers parked illegally in disabled parking spots, on broken yellow lines, on the footpath and breaching parking time restrictions have been fined.

Over 200 tickets have been issued in the last three months as Waipā District Council bolsters its efforts to crack down on bad parking behaviour to try to alleviate parking woes in town centres and address complaints from businesses and members of the public.

It averages less than three tickets per day across the district but is significantly higher than the 12 parking infringements issued over the same period last year prior to the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Council compliance manager Karl Tutty said although parking has always been enforced in Waipā, Council had increased its efforts in this area from just responding to complaints, to active patrols.

“Due to the high volume of complaints we have received about parking, we’ve put more of a focus on enforcement and are being proactive in this space.

“Much of the parking issues are due to drivers who park in time-restricted parking spaces all day which means other drivers don’t have the opportunity to use those spaces.

“Prime parking spaces in Cambridge and Te Awamutu CBD areas should have a high turnover of cars, allowing more drivers to use them. This is not only good for businesses but for residents too because it increases the likelihood of them finding a parking space easily.”

The highest ticketed areas have been Alpha, Victoria and Empire streets in Cambridge and Sloane Street and Selwyn Lane in Te Awamutu where a large number of drivers have flouted parking rules.

Parking tickets range from $15 to $150 depending on the offence with the higher fines for dangerous or inconsiderate parking such as in disability spaces. Council does not monitor registration and warrant of fitness.

Tutty said he had anticipated a slight increase in infringements but was surprised to discover the extent of drivers ignoring parking time limit restrictions and parking illegally.

“We do not have staff out monitoring parking all day every day and while they are out, they use their discretion when ticketing. Cars ticketed would be at least half an hour over the limit.

“There have been a few instances where whole streets contain cars left in time-restricted spaces for a whole day and some drivers who have received multiple tickets for repeat offences.”

Tutty said the crackdown was already having a noticeably positive effect on the availability of spaces in Cambridge and Te Awamutu.

“Those who are getting the tickets aren’t happy about it but overall we have seen an increase in parking turnover and availability which is great and we’ve had some good feedback from residents too, particularly around disability parks and the safety issues of cars on footpaths.”

Last year Council formalised the number of parking spaces on 18 streets in Cambridge and Te Awamutu and ran an education campaign promoting parking maps to provide residents with more parking options.

Parking maps which outline all parking spaces in Cambridge and Te Awamutu centres are available at www.waipadc.govt.nz/parking.