Anger over fine for ‘unfair’ Spit parking
A BRISBANE woman says she is furious after receiving a “ridiculous” fine for parking at The Spit.
Linda Smith was one of five drivers hit with $179 penalties for angle parking, rather than parking parallel to the road, at Seaworld Drive on February 26. Ms Smith, who was staying in Surfers Paradise, said she was stunned to find she had been fined after taking her dogs for a walk at the offleash section of beach.
“It was deadset ridiculous,” Ms Smith said.
“There was no parking anywhere. Everyone was angleparked to let more people fit.
“We’ve all parked not parallel to the road, and everyone got booked $179.”
Ms Smith said there were no signs to warn only parallel parking was allowed. She said she could not imagine how the way she had parked her car caused anyone else any harm.
“There’s no line marking, no signage that you have to park in a particular way,” Ms Smith said.
“It (angle parking) didn’t impede anyone. It didn’t impede pedestrians or cyclists or the road. We were out of the way and they still got us. It’s completely unfair. It’s just rubbish.
“You tell me how it endangered anyone. I didn’t mess with anyone’s weekend.”
A Gold Coast Council spokesperson said parking parallel “reduces traffic congestion” and “improves safety”. Ms Smith said: “On February 26, there were seven parking infringements issued along SeaWorld Drive. Of these, five were issued to vehicles parked on a road other than parallel. Under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management – Road Rules) 2009, a driver must position the vehicle parallel, as near as practicable, to the far left side of the road. Parking parallel on a road reduces traffic congestion and improves safety.
“Potential hazards to pedestrians and passing motorists include reduced awareness when a driver is navigating traffic, and the risk caused by vehicles reversing into, or from, an illegal angle parked position.”
Ms Smith said she initially decided against paying the fine, but after taking advice and failing in an appeal to council, realised she had no option. “I was so furious; I said ‘I’m not paying it’,” Ms Smith said. “I was doing the right thing by my community. But I can’t do anything. I have to pay the bill and that’s it. I just want someone to explain to me how was I hurting anyone. It’s just not fair.”
It is not the first time fines issued for angle parking have proved controversial on the Gold Coast. In June last year, 17 drivers were fined for not parking parallel at Helensvale Farmers Market.