'Learn the rules': Driver savaged after parking signs spark confusion
A driver has been savaged after he copped a $194 fine for spending more than 30 minutes in a loading zone as he claimed different parking signs sparked confusion.
Taking to a local Facebook page for advice, a man posted a picture of his van parked in the loading zone outside Willoughby City Council in Sydney’s Lower North Shore.
The sign he parked in front of simply said “loading zone”, but he also shared a different loading zone sign from another street which he said left him confused about the rules.
While he parked in front of a loading zone sign with no restrictions, the other sign stipulated another area was a loading zone from 6am to 7pm with a 30 minute only limit.
“Then how about between 7.01pm and 5.59am?” he asked the local group.
“The sign and the rules just make people [confused].
“I park my van at loading docks without timeframe sign or ticket sign more than 30mins many times in the last few years and have never been told I should not park for more than 30 mins.”
Driver told to ‘learn the rules’
People on the Facebook group did not have a lot of sympathy for the driver, with the majority telling him to “learn the rules”.
“All loading zones in NSW are 30 mins,” one commented.
“It’s max 30 min for trucks and utes and 15 min for small wagons/station wagons. When you legitimately use these spaces for your job you know the rules or you quickly learn them,” another added.
“You have been breaking the rules for years. This time you got caught. Pay the fine and move on,” a third said.
Another said the man should have already known the rule.
“It’s in your manual when you apply for your licence,” the driver said.
What are the rules for loading zones?
NSW Roads and Maritime Services says on its website the only drivers who can park in loading zones are those with vehicles constructed for carrying goods.
“These vehicles may stop for up to 30 minutes if they are being loaded or unloaded,” the website says.
“A station wagon or a three-wheeled good vehicle may stop for up to 15 minutes.
“If you are driving any sort of vehicle you may only stop to pick up or set down passengers at the kerb.”
The RMS adds hours of operation apply to some signs, meaning the restrictions apply for those times only.
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