Council restarts parking enforcement of some time limits from Monday

 

Christchurch City Council will resume the enforcement of some parking time limits following requests from the public.

The Council’s Unit Manager of Inspections and Enforcement Gary Lennan says the parking enforcement team recommenced operating in a limited way after the February earthquake in early April.

“We are now getting requests, particularly from the business community who have re-established themselves back in the Central Business District, for us to enforce a wider range of parking offences across the city,” Gary Lennan says.

“It’s detrimental for businesses if cars park over their allotted time in the limited number of parking spaces available. Businesses need parking space turnover to ensure customers have available parking.”

In addition to the Central Business District, there are parking issues in “hotspot” areas including:

• Industrial areas such as Birmingham Drive/Annex Road and Sheffield Crescent/Sir William Pickering Drive
• Around schools – particularly those where two schools have amalgamated
• Around the University of Canterbury
• Major suburban malls including Hornby, Riccarton, Merivale and Northlands
• Around Christchurch Public Hospital

Gary Lennan says the parking enforcement team will continue to operate in a limited way, including the on going issuing/leaving flyers on car windscreens advising motorists of a parking offence in lieu of a parking infringement notice until 23 May.

“Council staff will also use physical barriers such as cones and tape to prevent parking on grass berms around the hospital, university and industrial areas. However we will only issue infringements for areas around the hospital grounds when the hospital parking building on the corner of Tuam and Antigua Streets reopens,” he says.

From 23 May the Council will be enforcing the following parking offences:

• Public safety offences such as parking on broken yellow lines and/or footpaths, parking too close to intersections or corners,
• blocking vehicle entrances and expired Warrant of Fitness labels
• Parking in loading zones, bus/tour coach stops and taxi stands
• Parking in time restriction areas (non-metered) for example P10, P15, P60, P120 and P180 minutes.

He says the Council will advise when parking meter enforcement will resume sometime in early June 2011.

The Council is also trying to recover outstanding ticket payments for offences occurring before the 22 February earthquake. Reminders were sent out in late April requesting payment as well as offering the adjudication process and new options for time payments.