Hamilton parking frustrates
With tickets handed out at seemingly random intervals and a system that hasn’t caught up with technology, Hamilton’s parking management has a resident concerned.
Between frustrating processes and a lack of parking, Hamilton City Council has Leah Carroll, a rest home activities co-ordinator, seeing red.
Leah, 28, moved to Hamilton from Tauranga last year and has already butted heads with theparking department at Hamilton City Council.
“I got a ticket for driving an unlicenced motor vehicle. I had previously paid my registration but I had forgotten to put the registration ticket in the window.”
The unfortunate incident on London Street landed Leah with a $200 ticket. When she contacted the council to explain, however, she was told that she would have to send them a letter if she wanted the ticket waived.
“My biggest issue in that situation was that I couldn’t just solve it with the person I was talking to on the phone.
“I don’t have a computer at home either, so I would have had to go somewhere to type up the letter, because I doubt they would have accepted a hand written letter. It’s very out-dated.”
The council also don’t accept part-payments for fines, though Leah was told over the phone she could get as much as five months’ extension to pay the fine.
Leah ended up paying the fine as she did not have a chance to follow the long process in the given time frame, and she said it is not the first time she has had to pay a ticket because she did not have time to appeal it.
Leah’s other major parking concern is the lack of free parking in the CBD.
“I can’t think of anywhere to park for free in Hamilton. In Tauranga if I had to park in the town for work I could always park at least three blocks away.”
Leah described the council as “money grabbing” over parking and but said they are not following through with monitoring parking consistently.
“I know people who have parked on the road while they attend classes and not paid anything all day without getting a ticket but some days tickets are given for being a few minutes out.
“Some days I don’t see any wardens on Tristram and Collingwood Streets at all but some days they seem to be patrolling it constantly.
“Obviously they need the money.”
