Parking chaos in Springvale’s Buckingham Avenue has contributed to motorists being hit with more than $12,000 in fines over the past three months.By Shaun Inguanzo
GREATER Dandenong council has slapped motorists who park back-to-front in parallel bays with fines totalling more than $12,000 in just three months.
The council revealed the figures as Springvale Central Ward councillor Youhorn Chea called for signage in central Springvale to stop frenzied motorists from crossing into right-hand lanes to take parallel parks.
Cr Chea said the chaos, particularly in Springvale, was fuelled by shoppers’ hunger for a park.
He said motorists were crossing the road to park illegally in parallel bays in Buckingham Avenue, near Windsor Avenue, outside the Springvale Central Shopping Centre.
“I am talking to the officers because we need to put signs in Buckingham Avenue telling people not to park their cars in the wrong direction,” he said.
Cr Chea said further chaos erupted when the back-to-front cars tried to leave their bays by doing a U-turn instead of slipping out into the lane.
But Cr Chea said the underlying problem was Springvale’s scant parking space.
“Everyone feels frustrated when looking for a parking spot so when they see a spot free they just jump in,” he said.
The council pointed to information from Victorian Road Rule 208 (3): “If the road is a two-way road, the driver must position the vehicle parallel, and as near as practicable, to the far left side of the road.”
Council has taken additional steps, including marking directional arrows on the road, to make it clear to drivers that the area is two way.
The penalty is $63 and more than 200 notices have been issued across the city in the last three months.
