A Mount Albert man who popped home for 10 minutes on his lunch break was hit with a $70 parking fine from Auckland Transport. Photo / Supplied
A Mount Albert man who popped home for 10 minutes on his lunch break was hit with a $70 parking fine from Auckland Transport. Photo / Supplied
A man who popped home for a 10-minute lunch break was hit with a $70 fine despite parking in his driveway metres from his house.
The fine from Auckland Transport (AT) stated it was for parking on a footpath or a cycle path, which AT says the man “clearly”did.
Mount Albert local Anita Gatley told the Herald her husband, Paul Cheater, who is a sales rep for a food manufacturing company, was shocked by the fine.
She said the incident on Wednesday afternoon left her husband “absolutely furious” as he had parked in their own driveway.
Photos show Cheater’s vehicle parked close to his home.
In further correspondence, AT said there is a “common misunderstanding” about what is and isn’t a driveway, providing this diagram to illustrate what is a driveway on private property, and what is a “vehicle crossing” on a footpath.
Auckland Transport says there’s a common misunderstanding about what is and isn’t a driveway in the super city. Photo / Auckland Transport
“Auckland Transport does not issue any parking infringements for vehicles parked on private property, whether they are on a person’s driveway or elsewhere on their property”, a spokesperson said.
“What Auckland Transport does issue infringements for is people parking across footpaths and the ‘vehicle crossings’ that extend from the road to the property boundary.”
The spokesperson said the Government’s rules are clear that it is illegal to park in any way that blocks entry to or from a driveway.
“This rule means that it is not legal for a person to park on a vehicle crossing. There are a range of reasons these rules are in place, including to prevent cars blocking drivers’ visibility as they turn into a driveway or on to the road. They also help ensure that emergency service vehicles have access close to properties when needed.”
“Four minutes ... it says parked on footpath or cycle path, but it’s literally outside our garage,” she said.
Auckland Transport says Paul Cheater's car was “clearly” parked on a footpath. Photo / Supplied
She said her family had never experienced anything like this before in the area.
“I mean $70 is just ridiculous ... It is a lot of money for four minutes,” she said.
“Where can you park? If you can’t park outside your house, where can you park?”
AT said its rules clearly stated parking on footpaths or cycle paths can force users out into the flow of traffic to get aroundvehicles, causing major safety issues.
“Without enforcement, some drivers might park or drive wherever they like, with no consideration for others,” AT said.
The money collected from fines goes to the Auckland Council to help pay for services such as libraries, the zoo, and road and public transport improvements.
This comes after another hefty parking fine hit not only Aucklanders but supermarket shoppers nationwide.
Last year, shoppers were hitting out at a controversial parking rule that penalises them for visiting multiple nearby stores, with fines reaching up to $85.
It raised the question: should you be allowed to do your supermarket shopping and pop across the road for a coffee without facing a fine?
One woman commented on a community Facebook post, saying she shopped at New World Ōrewa and was hit with an $80 fine after walking across the road to grab a coffee.
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