Motorbike parks being taken by cars in Wellington

[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.

[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! )

[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 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?

[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!