Gold Coast motorist to fight parking fine issued on Southport street

THIS Queensland resident will fight a fine after he apparently parked the wrong way across the road from his home.

Aaron Cairns received a parking ticket for parking nose in at James Overall Park, the parking ticket indicates he should have been parallel parked even though everyone parks nose-in Photo: David Clark

A GOLD Coast salesman is vowing to fight a fine for parking nose-in on a suburban Southport street at the weekend.

Aaron Cairns, 36, was heading to work on Saturday morning when he noticed he and several other motorists had been fined by Gold Coast City Council for parking nose-in across the road from his apartment on Brighton Pde, near James Overell Park.

The fine was $97 and was for “parking of a vehicle on a road other than parallel”.

The fine was $97 and was for “parking of a vehicle on a road other than parallel” Photo: David Clark

Mr Cairns said there are no signs in the street to say cars should park parallel, only a sign stating a two-hour time limit for parking during the day.

He said he had parked nose-in for the past 15 months and the kerbs on either side of the carpark were in a diagonal position.

The timber sales representative said most residents at his address parked there overnight when there were no spaces left out the front of the building on Aqua St.

James Overall Park where resident Aaron Cairns was fined for nose in parking instead of parallel parking according to his parking ticket Photo: David Clark

“It is free two-hour parking between 7am and 5pm and when I got to my car at 7.30am, I thought it must have been for parking the wrong hours but when I saw the ticket it said it was for not parking parallel,” Mr Cairns said.

The man said there was plenty of diagonal parking room in the area.

“I think it’s a money grab from council,” he said.

“I can’t see why else they would be out at 7.30 in the morning when no one is parking there longer than they should.

“If you were to park parallel on that part of the street, you could seriously only fit two cars there.”

“I think it’s a money grab from council,” Aaron Cairns Photo: David Clark

A council spokeswoman said there were 10 parking tickets issued on Brighton Pde on Saturday and the parking rules had not changed in the street.

She said council officers were conducting patrols after receiving complaints.

“The infringement is valid,” the spokeswoman said.

“There are no marked bays to indicate nose-in parking in this area.

“Mr Cairns is within his rights to lodge an appeal in accordance with council policy.

“Our officers conduct regular patrols across the city, including this area, all year round and also attend as a result of complaints.

“They were attending this area on Saturday due to complaints for varying breaches.”

“I can’t see why else they would be out at 7.30 in the morning when no one is parking there longer than they should,” Mr Cairns said. Photo: David Clark

The spokeswoman said road rules did not require signs to be posted to tell road users to park parallel instead of nose-in.

“If the road is a two-way road, the driver must position the vehicle parallel and as near as practicable to the far left side of the road,” the spokeswoman said.

Mr Cairns said he had lodged an appeal.

Originally published as Gold Coast motorist to fight parking fine issued on Southport street