Brisbane suburbs where you’re most likely to get a parking fine

BRISBANE drivers are being slugged with a parking fine every two minutes, in an unprecedented council crackdown over the past 18 months that has led to a 40 per cent spike in the number of tickets being issued.

• EDITORIAL: Drivers not enjoying fine ‘crackdown’

BRISBANE drivers are being slugged with a parking fine every two minutes, in an unprecedented council crackdown over the past 18 months that has led to a 40 per cent spike in tickets being issued.

The Brisbane City Council handed out more than 278,000 parking fines in the 2016/17 financial year, raking in more than $30 million and a whopping $7.5 million more than the previous year when 201,215 fines were issued.

And the current financial year is on track to deliver similar results with 122,124 infringements issued between July and December totalling more than $14 million.

A council spokesman said the increase was the result of a concerted offensive to improve safety.

“Council takes a tough stance on illegal parking as it can create a safety risk or restrict access for other vehicles including emergency vehicles, cyclists, taxis, commercial vehicles, wheelchairs or prams,” the spokesman said.

“In response to council’s Parking Taskforce Report and as part of council’s ongoing commitment to ensuring Brisbane is safe and accessible, council enhanced enforcement of illegal parking including additional resources, such as highly-marked enforcement vehicles and increasing focus on particular areas such as around schools.”

A Brisbane City Council parking inspector in Fortitude Valley.

Outside of the CBD, the inner southern area of Woolloongabba was the biggest problem suburb for parking fines with 12,228 fines issued, followed by other inner suburbs, West End with 9937 and Newstead with 9844.

Brisbane City Council Infrastructure Chairman Amanda Cooper said motorists illegally parking in clearway zones was causing serious congestion on the roads and shutting down lanes of traffic at peak times.

In the 2016/17 financial year, 10,369 of all parking fines issued were for clearway infringements with the CBD, the nearby Petrie Terrace, and Ashgrove and Mt Gravatt the biggest problem areas.

More than 2200 people were also fined last year for illegally parking in school zones, but drivers appear to be getting the message with the number of fines significantly reducing each term, from 945 in term 1 and to 368 in term 4.

Brisbane Lifestyle and Community Services Chairman Matthew Bourke warned that the crackdown at schools would continue when the school year began.

“Council has more than doubled the number of enforcement officers patrolling during school times, he said.

P&Cs Queensland chief executive Kevan Goodworth welcomed the crackdown in school zones.

“The safety around our schools is paramount, particularly at this time of year when school is recommencing,” he said.

Originally published as Brisbane suburbs where you’re most likely to get a parking fine