More parking woes for Miramar

Rental cars parked along a Miramar street have become the latest parking stoush in the eastern Wellington suburb.

On Broadway, outside Scots College, Go Rental cars line the road and it appears Wellington City Council is powerless to do anything about it.

The issue is frustrating locals, who have called on the council to act. It comes after long-running debates over how to deal with airport users using neighbouring streets to avoid parking fees.

But Go Rental general manager James Dalglish said no-one had raised the problem with him, or he would have acted on it.

Broadway resident Alec Boulieris said there were, at times, up to 50 rental cars lined up on one section of the street.

‘‘A lot of residents along here do not have off-street parking so they have nowhere to park.’’

Some of his neighbours had complained to the council. After raising the issue with a parking warden, Boulieris was told here was nothing that could be done if the cars were road-legal.

‘‘[Go Rentals] are running their business off the street.’’

Stella Kiteos said the rental agency was a business and should take its cars elsewhere as it was ‘‘annoying the whole neighbourhood’’.

‘‘We can’t park when family and friends come over ... People dropping kids off to school, they can’t find any parks.’’

City councillor Chris CalviFreeman, the transport strategy and operations portfolio leader, said if a vehicle had a registration and warrant of fitness it was entitled to park on the road in the absence of any other regulation.

Dalglish said the company occasionally used street parking but only took up a few spaces at any one time.

The company had two sites in Miramar, both on Broadway, he said. ‘‘At no stage have any of the local residents come to us and complained and, if any had, we would have dealt with it immediately.

‘‘If we’re upsetting any residents, we’re happy to front that and deal with that, if it’s an issue.’’

Dalglish said the company’s cars were usually parked at the Scots College end of Broadway, and he did not feel that greatly interfered with resident parking.

‘‘But if it is, we will react and make some instant changes.’’

Parking in and around Miramar has long been a contentious issue, with residents growing increasingly frustrated as people park in their streets to avoid paying for airport parking.

The issue boiled over to the point where Miramar resident David Francis Johns, 52, slashed car tyres with a sharpened screwdriver over several months. Police say he slashed more than 300 tyres.

Earlier this month, the council said it was proposing a 24-hour parking limit for the area bounded by Calabar Rd, Caledonia St, Devonshire Rd, Ellesmere Ave, Crawford Green and Broadway.

If approved, vehicles parked in one spot in the area for more than a day could be fined or towed.

"If we’re upsetting any residents, we’re happy to front that and deal with that, if it’s an issue." Go Rental general manager James Dalglish