Hundreds of truck drivers have been fined for flouting parking laws in residential streets as part of a month-long operation run by Wyndham council.
The council issued 250 fines for trucks parked on nature strips or for being parked for extended periods of time in built-up areas during the operation between January 23 and February 23.
The fines, $95 each, were issued in Wyndham Vale, Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Williams Landing, Truganina and Point Cook. The total amount of fines issued amounted to $23,750.
Under the state’s road rules, heavy or long vehicles cannot park on a nature strip or on roads in built-up areas for longer than an hour, unless signs indicate otherwise.
Wyndham safer communities portfolio holder Kim McAliney said the council launched the truck crackdown following complaints from the public.
During the operation, parking inspectors worked evenings.
Cr McAliney said trucks that breached parking laws were both safety and amenity problems.
“Council takes complaints like these seriously, which is why we’re cracking down on this issue and will continue to do so,” she said.
“Trucks and other large vehicles do not belong in residential streets. Not only do they take up a significant number of parking spaces that would otherwise be used by the local residents, they also present safety risks.
“Pedestrians and other drivers struggle to see around trucks, forcing them to take unnecessary risks when entering or exiting their streets.
“They are also known to block driveways and make it difficult for emergency vehicles to access properties.”
Cr McAliney said residents who complained to the council about trucks that flaunted parking regulations had also said that the vehicles created a “significant amount of noise”, especially early in the morning.
“If you drive a truck and want to avoid an unnecessary fine, it’s best to avoid parking in residential streets,” Cr McAliney said.
