What’s wrong with this picture? Motorist fumes after being fined $266 for blocking the road – even though he’s clearly parked completely OFF the tarmac
- A $266 fine was issued to a Queensland driver for parking on the nature strip
- The frustrated driver says the fine was for ‘obstructing the length of the road’
- Council, however, claims fine was correctly issued as the nature strip is the road
A driver has been given a $266 fine for parking on a road even though a photo appears to show him off the tarmac.
The motorist from the Whitsunday region in northern Queensland took to Facebook on Wednesday to vent his frustration and share a letter he wrote to council disputing the ticket.
He also included photos in the post showing his car parked on a nature strip which he said were taken at the time he got the ticket.
A driver has been given a $266 fine he claims was for blocking the road while his car was clearly parked on the nature strip
The driver took photos in the post showing his car parked on the nature strip which he said were taken at the time he got the ticket
‘I would like to dispute this fine as I believe it to be unjust for the reasons I will state below,’ the man’s letter to council began.
The man claims that traffic caused by schoolies, cruise ships bringing tourists and the markets nearby mean that there is no parking on the street.
He also claims that signage indicating the parking rules is inadequate in the area.
The man says the fine was for ‘obstructing the length of the road’.
‘I enquired at the office here in Cannonvale and the lady stated you take photos of the offence, I think you can clearly see that all four wheels are completely off the road that would indicate no obstruction to other vehicles,’ he says he wrote in the email.
‘Where the vehicle was parked it also did not obstruct the pedestrians and did not cause them to have to use the road as a walkway leaving then enough room to remain safe whilst walking.’
The man said the fine was ‘outrageous’ but admitted he did pay it despite writing the letter to council.
Whitsunday Regional Council, however, told Yahoo News the fine was correctly issued because the nature strip is included in the definition of the road area.
‘So, it is illegal to park on the nature strip,’ a council spokesperson said.
The man says fine was for ‘obstructing the length of the road’ though the writing on the ticket is hard to read
Whitsunday Regional Council said the fine was correctly issued as the nature strip is defined as part of the road