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.
Gatley said her husband’s car was about a metre back from the garage but it was still easy for people to walk past.
She claimed it wasn’t blocking anyone who would want to get around it.
“He’s out on the road quite a bit so popped in to have a quick bite of lunch and he was literally here maybe 10 minutes,” Gatley said.
“He came outside, and he comes tearing back in and says, ‘I just got a $70 parking ticket’.”
Gatley said the parking ticket said it was issued from 12.14pm to 12.18pm.
“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.
