Driver cops 'disgraceful' fine for park in empty lot
A driver who stopped over two parking bays for three minutes has been slapped with a hefty fine despite the car park being completely empty and the incident taking place before dawn.
Early morning worker Richy Deane, 49, pulled up across the empty spaces so he could use the ATM at 5.57am on his way to work.
"I felt more safe withdrawing cash in the dark, parked somewhere I could jump straight out of the car, get my cash and drive straight off," Mr Deane said.
He was spotted by CCTV cameras and received a penalty charge notice (PCN) for $190 in the mail five days later for failing to park in a "designated bay" in the deserted shopping area.
Mr Deane, from Wales in the UK, said he is appealing the "daft" charge sent to him by New Generation Parking Management.
"I was there less than three minutes and as you can see, the car park was empty and I was not obstructing anyone else from parking” he said.
"It's disgraceful. I am appealing.”
A spokesperson for New Generation Parking Management said the car park is closely monitored to ensure that spaces are made available on a regular basis for customers using the facilities.
"As you will appreciate from the images you have seen, the driver in question parked in a manner which contravened the terms and conditions stated on the signage. Had the driver parked within the confines of a valid marked bay they would have not received a PCN,” the spokesperson said.
The company said that although “common sense must be used in exceptional circumstances,” such as this, they believed the fine was still valid.
"While we would still deem this Parking Charge Notice to be valid and legal, we do understand that the automated system does not take into consideration how full the car park is, the terms and conditions on site are valid 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
The company said that if Richy pays within 14 days the cost would be reduced to $115, and that he has the right to appeal.
—With Australscope
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