Watch where you park!
Wyndham’s parking officers are fining 36 drivers a day on average for flouting the city’s parking laws.
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.
In comparison, the council issued 11,817 parking fines in 2014-15, adding more than $1.1 million to council coffers.
The bulk of parking offences in 2015-16 were detected in Werribee’s CBD, in streets surrounding the city’s train stations, school zones, an area close to Werribee Mercy Hospital and in the Point Cook Town Centre, according to Wyndham council city operations director Stephen Thorpe.
Mr Thorpe said parking in a ‘no stopping’ area, exceeding imposed time limits, parking in a loading zone or nature strip, and parking in designated disabled spots without a permit were the most common offences detected by the council’s two parking officers.
He said the recent addition of Werribee’s Cherry Street carpark, which includes three-hour spaces, would increase parking options for people visiting the Werribee CBD.
“The increase in infringements … relates largely to the choices some motorists are making in terms of parking in areas where they shouldn’t be or parking longer than the allocated time.
“We strongly encourage motorists to obey parking restrictions to avoid having to pay a fine”.
Star Weekly asked Wyndham residents what they thought about parking in Wyndham via social media last week, and many said parking availability in Werribee’s CBD was insufficient.
A number also called on the council to build a multi-storey carpark, while Jeanette said she would like to see permits for those parking in Watton Street.
Robyn called the parking options in Werribee CBD a “disgrace”.
“Werribee CBD has so much to offer and I believe Wyndham council is starting to recognise this, but what’s with the one-hour parking restriction?
“There goes having a coffee and lunch and doing some shopping … and then there’s the lack of all-day parking for train commuters.”
Erin added: “The current parking limits are not conducive to helping small businesses flourish in Werribee”.
