Upsurge in tickets for cars parked too close to driveways on Auckland's North Shore

Wednesday, 16 August 2017

Some residents have little sympathy for cars parked too close to their driveways and outside the parking guidelines.

A desperate shortage of parking in residential streets on Auckland's North Shore is blamed for numerous reports of cars parked too close to driveways.

In the year to July 2017, Auckland Transport (AT) issued 1338 tickets on the North Shore for a vehicle obstructing a vehicle entrance, compared with 952 tickets the year before.

North Shore streets are filled with parked cars. Many cars are encroaching on driveways.

William Wu watched a car get towed for parking too close to his neighbour's driveway in Hillcrest and wanted to make others aware of the consequences of parking within 1 metre of a driveway.

'Even my neighbour [tried to] persuade the officer to issue a warning ticket rather than a fine, the officer insisted that it was an infringement and towed the car,' Wu wrote on Neighbourly.co.nz.

* Cars parked on yellow lines impede buses; one car side-swiped at busy station

* The vigilante tackling bad parking with hilarious passive-aggressive note**

In more than 45 replies to Wu's post from all over the Shore, a number of people reported having difficulty getting in and out of their driveways because of people parked across them.

They cited other instances of inconsiderate parking, such as cars parked across corners and too close to roundabouts. In some instances, school drop-offs and pick-ups were blamed, in others the finger was pointed at commuters.

People seem to think they can park anywhere and don't seem to mind putting others at an inconvenience, Nick and Janet Fredric of Totara Vale wrote on Neighbourly.

'I have no sympathy for anyone who illegally parks, it's rude. Parking too close to driveways etc is all in the road code, so no excuse for anyone not to know.'

The Fredrics want offenders fined and towed.

'[We] have reported to AT numerous times about people being too close to our driveway as it's dangerous to get in or out.'

Glenfield resident Claire Woodbury thinks a three-strike system could work as a deterrent.

'I think the offending parked car should first get the written warning, if that doesn't work a ticket and finally a third offence towed away. '

The AA's Barney Irvine said 'desperation' is the key word: 'People are being, in many cases, pushed into this sort of behaviour, they don't have a choice,' Irvine said.

Commuters are 'locked out' of the park and ride system, due to a shortage of parks at many bus stations, and are turning to residential streets to find a parking spot.

Not knowing the road rules can lead to inconsiderate parking, he said.

The costs of parking infringement fines on public roads are set by the Government in the Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999 and are the same throughout the country.

Auckland Transport does not clamp vehicles and will only tow a vehicle if it's a matter of road safety, obstruction or public interest.