Problem parkers on borrowed time
26 June 2015Waipa District Council is on the offensive against persistent parking offenders.
Business owners in Te Awamutu and Cambridge have been calling for increased vigilance from enforcement staff to stop people parking their vehicles for hours at a time in the main streets. Long-term parkers hinder people's access to shops, affecting trade and discouraging visitors.
Residents in both towns have also complained about parents parking dangerously near schools or Saturday sport facilities.
Senior enforcement officer Ken Danby said staff had responded by taking a far more proactive approach to parking issues this year.
Business owners have had enough and we agree. It's simply selfish to park outside a shop all day just because you happen to work nearby and can't be bothered parking elsewhere, despite the fact that free and close parking is available. We see people parking on pedestrian crossing, in bus stops and frequently double-parking while they pop into bakeries or food outlets.
He said council had also received a growing number of complaints about Saturday morning parental parking in Mangahoe and Mangapiko Streets in Te Awamutu near the netball courts.
Cambridge Primary School and Pekarau School in Te Awamutu were also hot spots, he said, with reports of people parking on yellow lines, across private driveways and on the footpath.
It's a real concern and it's also dangerous. We've had instances of people being unable to use their own driveways. There have been times when mobility scooters and pushchairs are unable to use the footpaths and have had to move onto the road to get past. It's not on and we won't tolerate it.
Council enforcement staff were now actively looking for parking overstayers and were patrolling on Saturday mornings around problem areas, he said. They were also out at night in both Te Awamutu and Cambridge, checking on heavy vehicles parked in residential zones.
The issue is that neighbours are being woken up in the early hours when those vehicles leave. It's in breach of council's bylaw so we've had some conversations with drivers and most are responsive.
Since the beginning of April, 60 parking infringement notices had been issued and plenty of conversations had been had, Danby said.
This isn't about collecting revenue; we'd far rather not have to issue parking tickets at all. Our aim is to improve road safety and give businesses in our local towns a fair go. I don't think that's unreasonable.
Media enquiries, contact Jeanette Tyrrell (on behalf of council) 027 507 7599