Hard line on parking annoys AA

Motorist advocacy group the Automobile Association says it is frustrating and ‘‘poor form’’ that parking companies do not let motorists off infringement notices when it can be proved that they paid.

Mark Stockdale, a senior policy analyst at the AA, said it was a common complaint.

‘‘The parking companies will say their terms and conditions clearly state that the receipt must be displayed,’’ he said.

‘‘When motorists complain that they do have a receipt, it just wasn’t visible, they say the terms and conditions say you must display it so we won’t waive the penalty. The AA says that’s completely unfair.

‘‘If the motorist can prove they did pay by showing a copy of their receipt, that should be the end of the matter. It’s frustrating that they refuse to do that.

‘‘But they can get away with it because the terms and conditions say it must be displayed.’’

He said the parking companies were at fault because they used paper that was prone to curling up in the heat, and was stored in rolls in the machines.

‘‘They have been rolled up and they will revert to that in certain circumstances. These penalties should be waived.’’

Stockdale said it was ‘‘nonsense’’ that companies required a receipt, anyway.

He said it should be possible for motorists to register their plate number when they paid, and for wardens to check the system online as they patrolled the lot.

But he said motorists could

"If the motorist can prove they did pay ... that should be the end of the matter." Mark Stockdale Automobile Association

avoid difficulties by parking with companies that offered an app. That eliminates the need for cash for payments, and for a receipt.

Stockdale said parking companies should promote their apps to motorists, rather than handing out penalty notices.

In the case of a Christchurch driver whose ticket curled up in the heat and fell off the dashboard, the woman should not have had to pay. ‘‘It’s really frustrating, it’s very poor form. It continues to surprise the AA that this still occurs.’’

Consumer NZ said there should be better mechanisms to dispute fines from parking operators.

‘‘Consumers can take complaints about parking providers to the Disputes Tribunal; however, a $45 filing fee applies so it’s not necessarily an attractive option to dispute a $65 parking breach notice,’’ spokeswoman Jessica Wilson said.

Parking charges vary considerably around the country.

In Auckland, it costs $13 for periods of between 20 and 60 minutes at Wilson Parking’s Kitchener St car park.

On Bond St in Wellington, Wilson Parking charges $3 per half hour. On Christchurch’s Hereford St, it’s $2. In most regional centres, parking is $1 an hour or less.