Delays in waiving Good Samaritan's Auckland parking fine

NZ Herald

3 Oct, 2017 12:16 AM2 mins to read

Sales engineer Robert Cotter paid for two hours parking costing $6 on his mobile phone through txt to park and received a parking receipt for $46.40. Photo / Facebook

The Good Samaritan stung with a $40 fine while he told transport officials of a faulty parking machine is still waiting for the penalty to be waived.

Transport officials say Robert Cotter, who was given a $46.40 receipt by a parking machine, was in fact charged only the required $6.

Auckland Transport has also promised that parking machines will be upgraded.

But questions remain over the $40 fine imposed on the sales engineer yesterday while he was on the roadside at Airedale St in central Auckland holding the faulty receipt and notifying Auckland Transport of it.

He had paid for two hours parking at a cost of $6 on his mobile phone through txt-to-park and received a receipt for $46.40.

"I was there with the ticket receipt in my hand and I got the fine on my windscreen," Cotter said.

The fine was for allegedly failing to follow the payment requirements.

To make matters worse, he was told the only way to contest the faulty ticket was to pay the fine and fill out a form online for a refund.

Cotter said as well as operating a "dicky system" with its on-street txt to park machines, it appeared there was no limit on how much money the machines could charge for parking.

"How many other people are being overcharged like this and [do] not realise it," he said.

An Auckland Transport spokesman said yesterday it would check the case today, but Cotter did not have to pay.

"He can do the query online and we will review it."

Today, after reviewing yesterday's Airedale St txt-to-park payments, the spokesman said: "The person was charged $6 by txt-to-park at 9.50am. We're not sure what was printed and would have to see the ticket."

"Officer 1282 arrived at Airedale St at 10.22 and issued six notices starting at 10.41am."

The number Auckland Transport had been given relating to Cotter's parking ticket number "does not match the infringements issued by officer 1282. It would help if we could get a copy of the actual notice".

"The park-and-display machines are being upgraded across Auckland in the coming months. The system upgrade will also include pay-by-plate, so there will be no need to retrieve and display a receipt.

"The AT Park app is also up and running. A member of the public can generate an account with AT for on-street parking."