15 October 2010

ACT Parking regulations and inspectors

| longshanks
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Hey folks

I was just wondering how our friendly neighbourhood parking inspectors (god bless their cotton socks) check how long cars stay in time limited parking spots these days. Do they still put a chalk mark on the wheel and come back to check? Or is there a new and improved method?

Next question: are you allowed (i.e. by the law) to leave, say, a 2 hour spot, go round the block, and come back? If so, what is the definition of leave? If you reverse out and then back in, does that constitute leaving? Is there a minimum distance to travel?

Any thoughts and advice would be much appreciated.

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Woody Mann-Caruso9:17 am 01 Nov 10

then how did the wheels move

“You turned them. You’ve got 28 days to pay this.”

Amazing! Post #13 advises what the (minimum) legal requirement is “moves the vehicle off the length of road, or out of the area, to which the permissive parking sign applies”.

Poster #14 then suggests moving a few metres up the same road before backing back into the same spot (on the same road). Clearly you wouldn’t have moved the vehicle off the length of road, let alone out of the area as the legislation requires, right?

Poster #15 returns to vehicle, gets into car to move steering wheel only (doesn’t leave spot) and then lies to parking authority when they get booked?

And these people wonder why they get parking tickets?

Captain RAAF1:20 pm 16 Oct 10

Ok, when you first park, have your front wheels turned sharply into the gutter, then come back just before the time limit expires and turn your front wheels sharply outwards towards the road. When you get a ticket, dispute it saying that you left the spot for a few minutes and when you came back it was empty and demand that they produce the photo’s. When you see them you can point out that if the car was parked too long in the one spot then how did the wheels move???

Ka-ching!

So if the same sign applies to two spaces, moving from one space to the next will not suffice to break the continuity.

but presumably driving onto the roadway, then backing back into the space would…

The TAMS website (http://www.rego.act.gov.au/parking/parkingrules.htm) indicates that the ACT uses the Australian Road Rules (available from http://www.ntc.gov.au/filemedia/Reports/ARR_February_2009_final.pdf).

Rule 205 of the Rules indicates that:

(1) A driver must not park continuously on a length of road, or in an area, to which a permissive parking sign applies for longer than the period indicated by information on or with the sign or, if rule 206 applies to the driver, the period allowed under that rule.

(1A) ….

(2) For subrule (1), a driver parks continuously on a length of road, or in an area, to which a permissive parking sign applies, from the time when the driver parks on the length of road, or in the area, until the driver, or another driver, moves the vehicle off the length of road, or out of the area, to which the permissive parking sign applies.

So if the same sign applies to two spaces, moving from one space to the next will not suffice to break the continuity.

Unfortunately, in cases like Amanda Hugankis’, it appears that the onus is on the operator of the vehicle to prove that they left the area before re-parking if the infringement notice is to be withdrawn.

WonderfulWorld8:44 pm 15 Oct 10

DJ said :

Isn’t it easier to do the right thing than look for a sneaky or cunning way to beat the system? It’s only parking….

With you DJ

What do they do with the photos after wards? Are there any privacy issues one asks tongue in cheek?

@ #6 astrojax makes a good point.

Isn’t it easier to do the right thing than look for a sneaky or cunning way to beat the system? It’s only parking….

Just drive past a point-to-point speed camera before re-parking.

kylieonwheels4:11 pm 15 Oct 10

Speaking from another city, I’m pretty sure when they are taking photos, they are collecting evidence of offenders, not just everyone who parks.

Time dated photo of car park with car

Second time dated photo of EMPTY car park

Third time dated photo of car park with car again.

Preferably not all a few minutes apart……

niftydog said :

I always heard that you had to leave the street that the parking spot is located in. Don’t know if it’s true.

i’d be surprised at this – after all, it is a ‘parking’ offence, so when you stop ‘parking’ then then you have satisfied your obligations and would be at perfect liberty to park again, where you are able to do so. oh look, same spot. who’d have thunked?

any current or ex plods can elucidate on this?

Your best bet would be not to abuse the 2 hour rule and move somewhere different entirely. I’m sure they’ve heard the “but I left and came back” excuse loads of times. Obviously not the way the time limit is meant to work.

I always heard that you had to leave the street that the parking spot is located in. Don’t know if it’s true.

I think the pictures are taken as evidence once the offence is registered.

Amanda Hugankis3:13 pm 15 Oct 10

I had an idea they entered ur rego details into a little PDA thingy. Don’t quote me on that though.

As for the leave and come back – you can get caught out – even in a legitimate situation. I was parked in an ACT government car spot 2 hour car spot. I left, went home for a while, turned out I had to return, previous car spot was still free, I didn’t occur to me it might look like I’d never left (as I hadn’t seen any inspectors) and just parked back in the spot I’d been before — BLAMMO! — yellow invite to donate cash to ACT government! And yes, I argued it, and no, they didn’t budge.

Hope you get caught. 🙂

I’ve seen them taking photos of cars, so maybe they just compare the photos as they do a lap.

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