Residents fight back against council rule after every car parked on street fined $154
Almost 90 residents were fined a whopping $154 for parking perpendicular to the kerb in streets in Graceville in Brisbane earlier this year, instead of parallel as council demands.
A community is urging their local council to use common sense and scrap rules prohibiting drivers from parking on an angle along streets in one suburb, a practice which they say allows more cars into the busy area, but authorities strictly forbid it.
Almost 90 motorists were fined a whopping $154 for parking perpendicular to the kerb in streets in Graceville in Brisbane earlier this year, when according to council they should have been parking parallel, despite that meaning fewer cars would be able to get into the area.
The state seniors netball carnival saw 2000 players, their families and officials descend on the small club for four days of matches in April when dozens were stung for angled parking. A total of 87 households received infringements in the mail one month later.
Locals call for 'common sense' approach from council
"We get parents parking about six blocks away to be able to get to the netball games," resident Caio Fernandes Nicacio told 9News. "I got fined three times."
According to locals, they'd been parking in such a way "for decades" they say there is enough room to do so "safely and practically" but council has stood firm on their stance.
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According to local Lee Gunn, he alleges council is simply "revenue collecting". "They'd be limiting that to 20 cars by parking parallel," he said.
Neighbours of the street have now created their own signage to warn drivers and explain what would happen if they're caught parking in an angular position. "I quite often get people, looking at me like 'who's that idiot? he's taking up three spots'," Gunn said, of the times he had parked parallel.
Have your say
Brisbane City Council in response told 9News it aims to always strike a balance between the needs of residents and attendees. The spokesperson said council was investigating ways to allow angled parking in the area.
Independent councillor for Tennyson Ward Nicole Johnston weighed in on the matter, saying "residents have been practising common sense" for some time, which had been both "safe and practical".
"The simple fix for this is to put angled parking signage in and let residents park the way they have parked for decades," she said.
Yahoo News has contacted Brisbane City Council for comment.
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