This Weeks Whinge Winner

“No Parking” vs “ No Standing”

I am no lawyer but internationally there seems to be a distinction between “No Parking” vs “ No Standing”.

I think we as citizens generally “get” the difference. “Parking” usually denotes the driver “leaving a vehicle” and “Standing” refers to the diver NOT leaving the car. Clear enough. So when one looks at the signage on these zones...it does state clearly No parking. Understood. But what is obviously not understood is that a 10 second drop-off-or-pick-ups will absolutely attract a ticket. The sign does NOT state this. And it would be reasonable to reflect that the sheer volume of tickets issued since the introduction of this approach would indicate that most motorists do/did not appreciate this point: while there IS a difference the world over..there isn’t in Queenstown. (Really?.) Moreso...it would also VERY strongly indicate the need for a drop-off-or-pick-up zone for the many folks/families/tourists etc to be able to stop a vehicle (not “park”) somewhere without fine or consequence while kids/staff enter or exit a vehicle. Your parking warden policing such a continuously moving stream would find that few abuse it & the task would self fund. If a lawyer was to explore the legal distinction between the two words and discover that there is indeed a difference in law, I suggest they’d be swamped with clients from Queenstown.

Case closed.

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  • Daniel

    No need for expensive lawyers. Check the Land Transport Act for legal definitions of parking and standing. Also check the Traffic Control Devices Act/Regulations 2004. That has all sorts of legal requirements for parking signs and if you look carefully enough you can generally find something to get off a parking ticket. For years the QLDC run airport had incorrect parking signs - the colour, wording and size were not legally correct - and I know many people (myself included) who got off airport parking tickets by pointing that out. The Airport have now changed to legally correct signs but if you got a ticket at the airport before 2016/2017 it was probably legally deficient. I also had a ticket in Shotover St for "inconsiderate parking" a year or so ago because I stayed longer than the 15 minute limit. The fine for that was $60 instead of the $12 parking ticket I should have got for staying 5 minutes over time. When I questioned the council on why the offence was "Inconsiderate parking" they informed me it was inconsiderate because someone else may have wanted to park there. I told them that was not a correct interpretation of inconsiderate parking and said I would defend it in court. As soon as I said I wanted to go to court they waived the ticket. I'm sure plenty of other people have paid similar inconsiderate parking tickets - although clearly there was no need to.

    Posted 14/10/2019 1:30pm (2 days ago)

  • MR GREENY

    Why dont they have a "ONE MINUTE PICK-UP /DROP OFF zoned area.....solve all the problems....and police that zone hard, so that if they stay over the minute max, they get seriously fined.....

    Posted 14/10/2019 2:23pm (2 days ago)

  • Daniel

    Just for clarity I have saved you the time of searching the legal definition of parking. It is pasted below from the Land Transport Act. If you stop in an area with a parking meter (which would also include pay and display parking) you can stop there for 5 minutes, otherwise it is an absolute offence - if it says no parking as soon as you stop is is an offence:

    parking means,—
    (a)
    in relation to any portion of a road where parking is for the time being governed by the location of parking meters placed pursuant to a bylaw of a local authority, the stopping or standing of a vehicle on that portion of the road for any period exceeding 5 minutes:
    (b)
    in relation to any other portion of a road, the stopping or standing of a vehicle on that portion of the road

    Posted 14/10/2019 3:25pm (2 days ago)

  • Ho Hum

    While its quite amusing to note all the comments about people parking in The No Parking areas. I am somewhat surprised that little or nothing is heard about the proliferation of those that park on the yellow lines, footpaths ,on breams or over peoples driveways etc.Many of those are clearly residents and the worse offenders are commercial delivery persons who appear to have unfretted rights to do so,while gabbing on their mobiles by the Police and QLDC Parking wardens .

    Posted 15/10/2019 12:34pm (17 hours ago)

  • MR GREENY

    Listen Ho,.....its not illegal to text or talk on your phone while driving in Queenstown......we have an exemption from the law that covers the rest of NZ.....the Police do not police that law here....however, it only applies to Queenstown ....

    Posted 15/10/2019 1:01pm (17 hours ago)

  • Idiot

    We’ve all been duped! The funny part is the cctv cameras were put in for crime fighting, now they are used for parking tickets. Who watches the cameras and issues the tickets, a QLDC employee?

    Posted 15/10/2019 10:44pm (7 hours ago)