Not on our parking patch
Westfield commuter crackdown confuses shoppers
A PLAN to stop light rail commuters clogging Westfield Helensvale car parks has caused mass confusion for shoppers and staff.
The shopping centre giant has installed signs across its entire car park, advising motorists of a new three-hour parking limit.
The signs, which are at the entrances to the main car park, and littered throughout at pedestrian crossings and on trolley bays, state that all vehicles may only be parked for three hours in a 24-hour period.
But a spokeswoman for Westfield said the limit is only for staff and commuters, insisting legitimate customers could park as long as they liked.
Staff at the centre said they knew nothing of the new restrictions until they saw the signs, while shoppers were shocked and worried.
Pimpama resident Casey Popielnick said she often came to Westfield, sometimes more than once a day.
“I often come here three or four times in a 24-hour period, I have a two-year-old … does that mean I risk getting fined? It’s ridiculous,” she said.
Ms Popielnick said it was unfair for customers to not receive a ticket stating when they entered the car park.
“If they want to do this, they need to implement boom gates to ensure there is no hearsay involved,” she said.
Yesterday, cars parked in 30-minute bays had notices on their windscreens, advising that the shopping centre was working to “identify staff and commuter vehicles” in customer parks.
The notice advised legitimate shoppers to dial customer service and inform staff of their numberplate, to ensure they did not receive a fine or a breach.
Bulletin reader Justin Canty said he had witnessed at least nine cars receive warnings on Sunday.
The local said he contacted Westfield about the new regulations, and received a response stating customers were welcome to park as long as they needed, but a third party had been engaged to scan numberplates to monitor illegal parking.
The second stage of the light rail between Helensvale and Parkwood opened on Sunday.
A GoldLinQ spokesman confirmed an extra 400 car parks had been built along the line at Helensvale.
He said Westfield was a major stakeholder in the area and had been consulted heavily during the planning and construction process.