Overworked healthcare staff have cars towed by council
Frontline healthcare staff working overtime at Melbourne hospitals have been forced to fork out hundreds of dollars after discovering their cars had been towed during their shift.
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Cars of healthcare workers on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus have been towed while they work overtime at Melbourne hospitals.
Nurse Sam Cameron says she was forced to pay more than $400 to get her car back after it was towed while she was working overtime this week.
She said when she went to collect her car there were other healthcare workers in scrubs waiting to collect theirs too.
Ms Cameron said she had parked on an otherwise empty Albert St, East Melbourne, and had planned to be back at her car before the area became a clearway at 4pm.
But she was forced to work overtime because of an influx of patients, and after her shift ended, found that her car had been towed.
Ms Cameron said her $425 fine was more than she earned during her shift.
“I didn’t realise that the City of Melbourne was still towing cars to create lanes for peak hour traffic as there is currently no peak hour traffic,” she said.
“It does not make sense to me how there is a need for towing cars during this time — there is no congestion because most have lost their jobs or are working from home.”
“I am trying to do the right thing by going to work and helping during this time of need and I made a mistake by making an assumption about clearway zones,” Ms Cameron said.
On Thursday, after lodging a review, a City of Melbourne spokesperson said Ms Cameron would be fully refunded.
The spokesperson said the car was towed because it posed a safety risk.
She said she was pleased with the result, and hoped it would encourage other healthcare workers to appeal against similar fines.
“I think the council has done the right thing,” Ms Cameron said.
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