A Werribee CBD employee is going to war with Wyndham council over its “antiquated” system of marking car tyres with chalk.
Antony Allan, who works on Watton Street, is contesting two parking fines issued by the council.
Mr Allan claims that in both instances, he had moved his car in accordance with time limits but was nevertheless fined because the chalk mark used by a parking inspector had not rubbed off his tyre.
Mr Allan suggested to Star Weekly that pictures taken on his phone indicated that some of the chalk markings lasted a couple of days.
He says he will not pay either fine unless the council can produce CCTV evidence that he had indeed overstayed the parking time limit.
“When you actually move your car and the antiquated system of the chalk mark still remains on your car tyre, and you still end up getting a fine after you’ve moved your vehicle … it’s ridiculous. I’m severely frustrated and annoyed about the whole situation.”
Mr Allan said he had also tried, unsuccessfully, to get a parking permit, but the council had put a hold on the issuing of new permits since February 2015.
His comments come a week after a Star Weekly report revealed Wyndham council netted more than $1.4 million in parking fines in the 2015-16 financial year, handing out 13,334 fines over the 12-month period.
According to Wyndham council city operations director Stephen Thorpe, the bulk of parking offences in 2015-16 were detected in Werribee’s CBD, in streets surrounding the city’s train stations, school zones, areas surrounding Werribee Mercy Hospital and in the Point Cook Town Centre.
Mr Thorpe confirmed the council was reviewing Mr Allan’s parking fines.
He defended the use of chalk marking.
