An Auckland Transport (AT) spokesperson said the area where the resident parked was clearly marked with a no parking/stopping signpost. Video / Supplied
An Auckland man who was fined $100 says he later spotted an Auckland Transport driver parked in the same spot. AT alleges the confrontation that followed turned physical.
The Westgate resident, who did not want to be named, said he found a $100 parking ticket on his car nearhis home on Matakohe Rd.
He was parked on the grass berm because of a lack of parking in the area.
The AT ticket was issued on February 19 for parking in a no-stopping area.
According to a video shared with the Herald, an AT-branded vehicle was seen parked in the same area the next day, on February 20.
The resident said he confronted the AT driver about the situation and asked why he had parked there. AT told the Herald that this interaction became abusive.
What happened?
The resident told the Herald he had been parking on the grass berm outside his home for the three months he had lived there.
He claimed it was normal for others on the street to do the same.
“Because of the narrow street and lack of parking spaces, residents of the area, including myself, are forced to park on the grass.
“All the street is yellow lines, so no space to park.”
On the morning of the 19th, he went to leave for work and discovered the ticket.
The next day, he spotted someone else parked in the same spot.
“As soon as I got home from work, I was surprised to find an AT car parked in the exact spot where I had parked the day before when I received the ticket,” he said.
A man claimed an AT driver parked in the same spot where he got a $100 fine. Photo / Supplied
The resident said he waited about 10 minutes for the driver to return to the car.
“I tell him, ‘Open your window.’ He didn’t open the window. And then I open his car door.”
He said he asked the driver why he had parked there.
“He told me he had come to visit a friend and couldn’t find a parking spot.”
The resident said he took a picture of the situation, and the AT driver allegedly asked him not to report it.
“Why am I not allowed to park next to my house, but he’s allowed to come and park here?” the resident said.
AT said the area was clearly marked with a no parking/stopping signpost.
AT said the area where the resident parked was clearly marked with a no parking/stopping signpost. Photo / AT
“We have spoken to the staff member (not a parking officer) to remind them and the wider team that parking on a berm is not permitted, even if there are no parking spaces in areas where work is being undertaken.”
AT alleged that the incident became abusive when the resident approached the AT driver.
“The resident tried to physically remove our staff member from the car and also verbally abused him, which is totally unacceptable.”
The resident denied asking the AT driver to get out of the car.
