Mapped: Worst Brisbane streets for parking fines after drivers fork out $30m in 2023

More than $30 million in parking fines were dished out to Brisbane drivers last year, with one inner-city street accounting for $1 million of them. SEE BRISBANE’S WORST STREETS FOR FINES

Brisbane residents forked out more than $30 million in fines for parking illegally or not paying meters over the past year, with one street stinging drivers more than $1 million alone.

Brisbane City Council issued nearly 160,000 tickets to drivers in 2023, and an additional 6560 warnings to those parked illegally.

Failure to pay parking meters emerged as the top violation, with more than 44,000 people slapped with fine of at least $116 – or more depending on the exceeded time limit.

Thousands more parked in no stopping zones, bus zones, and taxi zones which attracted a $309 penalty and clearways, which attract a whopping $464 parking ticket.

Of the 159,000 fines issued by council, 98,000 totalled more than $23 million in revenue.

Of the remaining 61,000 fines, if each equated to council’s minimum $116 parking fine, total revenue would exceed $30 million.

Parking inspectors slugged Brisbane motorists more than $30m in fines in 2023. Pic Annette Dew

A Brisbane City Council spokeswoman said council received almost 40,000 complaints about illegal parking from residents during the 2022-23 financial year.

“When people park in no stopping zones, stop in bus stops and dangerously stop on yellow lines, it reduces visibility, impacts the flow of traffic and creates a dangerous situation on our streets,” she said.

“If someone stops in a clear way or no stopping zone in peak hour they can reduce the capacity of a two-lane road by 50 per cent.”

Council raked in $5.1 million from parking meter evaders alone, and another $7 million from drivers who parked in no stopping zones.

Meanwhile, more than 8000 people were towed after parking in clearway areas, the fines totalling another $4 million in council revenue.

Drivers booked on Alice St forked out the most money, with the area racking up more than $1m in parking tickets.

Wickham St in Fortitude Valley had the highest total number of parking tickets issued, with more than 5000 drivers finding fines under windshield wipers, including 1000 who were towed for stopping along clearway areas.

On Margaret St in the CBD, $500,000 in fines was racked up by those parking in bus zones and another $229,000 by drivers stopping in taxi zones, while in Alice St, more than 1300 vehicles were towed from clearway-signed areas.

In South Brisbane, drivers on Grey St who failed to pay parking meters or overstayed time paid for racked up a minimum of $304,000 in tickets, and on Colchester St another $238,000.

Colchester St drivers were also nabbed for parking on yellow lines, totalling more than $70,000 in fines, but 58 lucky residents were let off with a warning – the highest leniency compared to any other street.

Revenue raised from parking fines is spent on council services and infrastructure projects.

Leader of the Opposition Councillor Jared Cassidy said Brisbane ratepayers were being taken for “mugs”.

“With the cost of living biting, Brisbane residents have been slugged with over $45 million worth of parking fines by the Schrinner LNP Council over the last 18 months,” he said.

“At the same time as these infringements were being issued, Adrian Schrinner and Fiona Cunningham were secretly working on their plan to cut $400 million from the Council’s budget meaning less service delivery for the people of Brisbane.

“I for one am sick of seeing Adrian Schrinner take the ratepayers of Brisbane for mugs, constantly asking them to pay more but giving them less – unless it’s parking fines.”