'Over zealous' parking police By LEON OBERG Monday, 9 May 2005
'Over zealous' parking police
By LEON OBERG
Monday, 9 May 2005
GOULBURN's parking "police" are back in the news, this time for erroneously issuing a parking infringement on a young local P-plate motorist for allegedly exceeding the permitted parking time limit in Clifford Street.
The infringement notice, now in Goulburn Post hands, claimed the motorist erred for parking in said street from 11.25am to 1.21pm on a recent day in April.
Since the legal parking limit in that street was two hours (120 minutes) and the alleged 11.25am to 1.21pm infringement totaled 116 minutes, the motorist reckoned she not only had no case to answer - but claimed "obvious over zealousness" on the part of the booking officer.
It is understood that on the day in question, the motorist's alarm sounded in her office signaling it was time to move her vehicle (one borrowed from her mother).
A parking officer was just leaving her vehicle when the motorist emerged. The reader said several cars were booked at the time however it was not known if those infringement notices - worth $70 - also carried similar timelines.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council's Director of Planning and Community Services, Chris Berry said upon examination of the issue, the "evidence was clear that a mistake had been made".
"We are taking immediate steps to rectify the wrong and we will be advising the Infringement Processing Bureau of the incorrect notational data and that the certificate was issued in error," Mr Berry said.
"The person served with the notice should contact the Bureau and the two letters will be officially reconciled.
"Rangers keep two records including personal diaries and we are also going back into the officer's records to see whether others issued at the time were similarly erroneous."
Mayor Paul Stephenson pointed to a recent council meeting at which Cr Ken Sullivan (supported by other councillors) complained there were not enough rangers to provide consistent surveillance of the city's parking areas.
Meanwhile, in a letter to the Infringement Processing Bureau, the motorist claimed there was a duty of care to rate and tax payers on the part of councils and the bureau to ensure the information in infringement notices were always correctly served.
"For many people, fighting these things can often be expensive in terms of photography, time and legal representation - and add unnecessary stress to honest people's lives," she said.
Whilst on parking: That story we brought you earlier this year telling how some Goulburn motorists were booked for parking in a poorly marked and non-advertised loading zone behind Harvey Norman, were formally advised by the Infringement Processing Bureau's director last week that their infringements had been withdrawn!