Metro Police show a little leniency
Prospect Road residents tired of being fined by Metro Police for parking on verges outside their homes met with the police to discuss this issue.
THERE has been a positive outcome to a meeting between residents living in Prospect Road, Umbilo and Metro Police last week.
A resident, who was fed up with receiving fines for parking her car on the verge outside her garage every night, assisted in calling the meeting between other residents and Metro Police. At the meeting it was agreed that Metro Police would be more lenient and would not fine residents for parking on the verge along Prospect Road.
Since April, the resident said she had received four R500 fines, and said other residents she spoke to had also complained of being fined.
Times the fines were issued ranged from 7.16am, 7.37pm, 10.22pm to 12.38am.
“My husband parks his car in the garage and I park in front of the garag, so I can still see my vehicle from inside my house. We live in a very narrow road and have taxis and buses driving along the road all the time. If I park in the road, I obstruct the traffic so I parked on the verge but was fined. One woman living down the road has received nine fines, and I understand they are ticketing in Brettonwood Avenue too,” she said.
The resident said she felt the meeting was necessary as she and her neighbours were too afraid to entertain visitors for fear they would be ticketed as well.
She said previously, under ward councillor Geoff Oldfield, a study was done on this issue in the road, and some leniency was recommended as was no outside parking is available for residents.
“I'm glad the Metro Police have agreed to work with the residents in this regard. We have found it ridiculous as we are being fined outside our own homes, whereas patrons of the takeaway outlets in Rick Turner Road park on the red 'no parking' line and police park on the pavement, but there is no enforcement there,” she said.
