BROKEN METERS
DOING THE LEGWORK:
MOTORISTS travelling into the Cairns CBD every day are infuriated about broken parking ticket machines in the city.
Taxi driver Bob Richardson said he was particularly frustrated by a ticket machine that was broken for almost a fortnight outside his daily lunch spot.
“I park on the Esplanade very day before having a meal at Barnacle Bills,” he said.
“Having a broken ticket machine is a hindrance to my day.
“I have to walk much further to get to a machine and get a ticket.”
He said his main concern was for foreign visitors who might not know how to navigate the broken ticket machine and risk getting fined in the process.
“If people aren’t local they won’t know to walk down to the next meter,” he said.
Darcie Raleigh said she worked at the Raw Prawn on the Esplanade and was tired of having to walk up and down the waterfront strip to find somewhere to pay for her parking ticket each day.
“It’s incredibly annoying to have the meter closest to work broken, and it’s even more annoying to have to go outside and move your car every three hours and get a new ticket, which you’ll have to go to a different ticket machine to get,” she said.
A Cairns Regional Council spokeswoman said it was possible for a parking inspector to begin writing a ticket for an unticketed vehicle while its driver was walking to another ticket machine.
“If a parking officer approaches your vehicle while you are in the process of obtaining a ticket, please return to your vehicle to advise of the fault,” she said.
“A contractor maintains the ticket machines and the majority of faults are detected quickly via software that offers remote monitoring.
“In most cases, faults can be fixed immediately. However, if a fault is experienced during a transaction, motorists are asked to call the number that is printed on the ticket machine to report the incident and to provide the machine’s identification number.
“In these cases, the caller’s details are recorded and they are not required to purchase another ticket.
“In the event that they receive a penalty infringement notice they can successfully appeal by providing the fault report reference number provided by the operator.”
She said the ticket machine on the Esplanade was fixed after the Cairns Post contacted the council.
“The ticket machine in question has experienced a fault that required a specialised part to be delivered,” she said.
“The fault was identified seven days ago. The part was received yesterday and the machine was repaired and is now operational.”
Fines for parking without a valid ticket have increased to $58 per infringement.