Campervans clogging streets
Auckland residents are fed up with campervans blocking their streets and fear the city’s housing crisis is making the matter worse.
Kohimarama resident Tom McVeigh said campervans parked on the road side were ‘‘an accident waiting to happen’’ and wanted bylaws introduced that would ban the practice.
A campervan had been parked across the road from his house on Taranaki Rd for several months, causing headaches for after school commuters in particular, he said.
‘‘There were some real interesting times when the school buses came through and traffic was held up as the roads are just too narrow,’’ McVeigh said.
Orakei resident Viv Small said she had two campervans clogging her street, taking up enough space for several cars.
The vehicles became an issue for residents, including her flatmates, she said.
‘‘Aside from being an annoying eyesore, my flatmates had to park miles away from my house when they got home from work because there was no space,’’ she said.
After calling the council, the campervans moved on, Small said.
Auckland Transport’s (AT) code of practice said if residents had concerns about on-street parking, they could request AT to investigate.
After that, traffic engineers would assess the road and if they recommend a change, it is publicly consulted, then reviewed, then the final design goes to a traffic control committee for sign off.
An AT spokesperson said narrow roads were often reduced to parking on one side only, if deemed dangerous or a traffic risk.
While there were no specific bylaws for campervans, AT said infringement notices would be given if a vehicle breached general parking laws.
New Zealand Motor Caravan Association chief executive Brian Lochore said campervans had just as much right to park on residen- tial streets as other trucks and vans.
‘‘Most are no wider than trucks, which you see on streets all the time,’’ Lochore said.
‘‘The biggest issue people have is just they plain do not like the look of them. That is what it comes down to really.’’
There are roughly 4,500 registered campervans on Auckland roads, Lochore said.