Motorbike parks being taken by cars in Wellington

[Strider]

Yes that's right cars park in parks for motorbikes only during the weekend in "Mercer st Wellington". Every time I go to Wellington in the week ends I use the bike parks in Mercer st, and every time there is bloody cars taken up the space. I did ring Wellington council and they said they will sent a parking warden down there.I came back an hour half later to find 3 of the 4 cars still there and another car there with no sign of any warden been there. If a bike was to take up a whole car park you would get a car drivers doing their nut. The councils are quick to ticket a bike on the foot path so were are they when a car parks on a bike park!?

[YellowDog]

Well that's bad news.

There must be someone you can get to come along and ticket them.

[nudemetalz]

I work for WCC and get on well with the person in charge of parking.
I'll bring this up tomorrow and see if I can sort something out.

[p.dath]

There is nothing wrong with a bike parking in a cark park.

I've think you've done about as much as one could reasonably expect.

[Blackshear]

There is nothing wrong with a bike parking in a cark park.

I've think you've done about as much as one could reasonably expect.

This.

Although I tend to refer to them as 'parking spaces', not car parks. Motorbike parks tend to be specialized.

Leave a note, stating their tyres are likely to get slashed next time :rolleyes:


/toughguy

[Strider]

I work for WCC and get on well with the person in charge of parking.
I'll bring this up tomorrow and see if I can sort something out.

It would be good to see this sorted as I have seen this every time I come to Wellington and park there. It is central to where I like to shop around there. The car reg's was past onto the number rang at the council today.

[AD345]

Burn them!!



yesss, swooped in before Jim 2

[mossy1200]

The weekend is nuts.
When iwork the weekend with my service vehicle people seem to think service vehicle parks are free for alls also.Nothing worse than lugging a box of lamps and ladder two blocks to change a light bulb(5minute job)
Whats worse is they stay in their car and in the park when its obvious you want in.
Taxi drivers are the worst in The Terrace and look out if you try use their parks.

Wheel clamping on weekends so that everyone walking past sees that its not ok.Word travels quite fast.Bike parks are designed so several bikes get a park without overloading general parks.:Oi:

[Mikkel]

Cars parking on the sidewalks... those wellingtonians are mad, mad I tell you!

[elevenhundred]

It's not a new problem either. For years cars have been parking in the Mercer St bike park on the weekends. Earliest memory I have of seeing it was in 1999. They try it on week days too but usually there are too many bikes.
Get the parking wardens down there and generate some cash to create more bike parks

[jono035]

The weekend is nuts.
When iwork the weekend with my service vehicle people seem to think service vehicle parks are free for alls also.Nothing worse than lugging a box of lamps and ladder two blocks to change a light bulb(5minute job)
Whats worse is they stay in their car and in the park when its obvious you want in.
Taxi drivers are the worst in The Terrace and look out if you try use their parks.

Wheel clamping on weekends so that everyone walking past sees that its not ok.Word travels quite fast.Bike parks are designed so several bikes get a park without overloading general parks.:Oi:

That's pretty crap. I have no problem parking in goods vehicle parks or bus stops etc. providing I'm picking someone up, stay in the car and watch for people who actually want to use the park. If a bus or whatever comes up, just pull out, drive around the block and park back there again, seems to work *shrug*

[pzkpfw]

I seem to remember reading in a KB thread that on weekends cars are actually allowed to use the bike parks?

Am I totally wrong or is it true for some parks??

[RantyDave]

Motorbike parks are for things with two wheels. Perhaps we can help by taking two of them off?

[NZsarge]

Burn them I say! Particularly if it a BMW!

[FROSTY]

I would have thought a passive form of protest would be better.
Mr smugcarowner wont be so smug when he sees he cant actually get his car out of the parking space. A bike or two or three either end of his car would most likely be enough of a pain to discourage him parking there again.

[denefoster]

Ring me, and we can box'em in. Then sit and have a nice slow coffee. I hate a$$hats that do park in them.

[Timber020]

Just take 2 of there wheels off to ensure they are only parked there legally with a two wheeled vehicle.

[nudemetalz]

Update:-
Spoke to the head of Parking earlier.
It is Council's policy to only ticket illegally parked cars on motorcycle stands, not tow them.
However, they do get a $40 fine each time and the wardens watch and do do this regularily I'm told.

Best I could do. :dodge:

[imdying]

This is why bikes have bar ends. Just stop at the boot, and then ride up to the bonnet, all the while dragging your bar end up the car. RGV has knurled bar ends, works a treat.

[Strider]

I seem to remember reading in a KB thread that on weekends cars are actually allowed to use the bike parks?

Am I totally wrong or is it true for some parks??

That is incorect from what I was told when I rang the council number I was given on Sunday.

[nudemetalz]

I confirmed that this morning. They are not allowed to use bike parks.

[Kendog]

I also recall someone quoting coucil rules that bike parks after hours (whatever that means) become general parks.

[Nasty]

I also recall someone quoting coucil rules that bike parks after hours (whatever that means) become general parks.

This would only apply if there is an exception on the signage - e.g. like loading areas sometimes have loading 10-2 pm. No exception on the sign - no cars allowecd to park there ...

Saw two cars in the mercer park this morning .. .rang through to Council (where I also work) ... and they put me straight onto parkwise - who said that they would deal.

[ManDownUnder]

I work for WCC and get on well with the person in charge of parking.
I'll bring this up tomorrow and see if I can sort something out.

WHOOAAAAA!!!!!

Hold on a minute there fella - you're on KB now!.

You can't actually take action on stuff!!!! We need to talk about it at length, get dragged wildly off topic and end up blaming a Honda owner before we can decide on anything resembling a course of action...!

(or in other words... ONYA! :niceone: :niceone: :niceone:)

[Badjelly]

I seem to remember reading in a KB thread that on weekends cars are actually allowed to use the bike parks?

Am I totally wrong or is it true for some parks??


That is incorect from what I was told when I rang the council number I was given on Sunday.

The situation has changed in the last few years.

To the best of my knowledge, the signs indicating motorcycle parking spaces in Wellington do not specify the times to which they apply. In that case the Road Code dictates (http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/roadcode/about-driving/parking-signs.html) that:


All other parking signs apply between 8 am and 6 pm, other than public holidays covered by section 44(1) of the Holidays Act 2003 (Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, etc), unless other times are shown.

So they do apply on Saturday and Sunday.

Until a few years ago, however, the Road Code said that parking signs (with no time specified) applied only on weekdays and Saturday morning, plus maybe Friday 6-8 pm IIRC. The change in the regulations was made to reflect the modern reality that parking demand is high on Saturdays and Sundays. So back then you could legally park a car in a motorcycles only space (with no time specified) on Saturday afternoon and Sunday ... and in the evenings, of course, as you still can.

[pzkpfw]

... and in the evenings, of course, as you still can.

So to be clear, a car can park in a bike park (that does not specifically indicate times or days) on any day, as long as it's between 6 pm and 8 am the next morning?

(Not saying I like this, just hope everyone gets on the same page. Sounds like the council themselves do not know the law, or the law, as usual, is an ass (arse?).)

[Badjelly]

So to be clear, a car can park in a bike park (that does not specifically indicate times or days) on any day, as long as it's between 6 pm and 8 am the next morning?

Yes.


(Not saying I like this, just hope everyone gets on the same page. Sounds like the council themselves do not know the law, or the law, as usual, is an ass (arse?).)

I strongly suspect the parking people at the council do know this.

Why do you think the law is a donkey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ass_(animal))?

[Badjelly]

I also recall someone quoting coucil rules that bike parks after hours (whatever that means) become general parks.


This would only apply if there is an exception on the signage - e.g. like loading areas sometimes have loading 10-2 pm. No exception on the sign - no cars allowecd to park there ...

Nope--see my previous post, or the Road Code. No exception on the sign means it applies only at the standard times. To apply at all times, it has to say "At All Times".

A lot of people seem not to know this and leave loading zones and bus stops(*) free in the evening. This is a good thing.

(*) Most bus stops say "At All Times" but some don't.

PS: But please don't tell anyone else!

[shafty]

Well done NudeMetalz!

I often have a permanent marker in my pocket and have left a "Only tossers park here" on the windscreen in front of the steering wheel - something to read and contemplate on the way home. (Same applies to disabled parking spots)

[MarkH]

I did ring Wellington council and they said they will sent a parking warden down there.I came back an hour half later to find 3 of the 4 cars still there and another car there with no sign of any warden been there.

Shit mate - in Auckland if you let the council know that there was a car parked illegally then there would be a warden plastering it with tickets before you got off the phone!

[jono035]

Well done NudeMetalz!

I often have a permanent marker in my pocket and have left a "Only tossers park here" on the windscreen in front of the steering wheel - something to read and contemplate on the way home. (Same applies to disabled parking spots)

A friend's disabled relative had his borrowed car keyed while parked in a disabled parking space because he didn't have his ticket displayed...

At least you're only using marker on the windshield which will come off easy enough though!

[Strider]

Update:-
Spoke to the head of Parking earlier.
It is Council's policy to only ticket illegally parked cars on motorcycle stands, not tow them.
However, they do get a $40 fine each time and the wardens watch and do do this regularily I'm told.

Best I could do. :dodge:
The council have replyed back to an email I sent about it plus a number of the company to ring when a car/cars are parked in the bike parks.

Quote "You may also be interested to know that the Council contracts a division of Armourguard Security called 'Parkwise', to monitor parking in the city. This is a 24 hour service, which means that at any time you can report an illegally parked vehicle, and a warden will attend to the site as soon as practicable. The phone number for this service is: (04) 801 5020." Will put them to the test this week end so watch out them four wheels park there.