walking . is . overrated

From The Aucklander, 21 November 2007

Getting from A to B would not be an issue for Grey Lynn’s Ronald Johns if people parking their vehicles didn’t flout the law. But Mr Johns, who has osteoarthritis, must run a gauntlet of parked cars and advertising boards every time he leaves the house. “The mind boggles, it really does,” he says. “The attitude of some is breathtaking, where they think they can park a car. How would they like it if I pulled up out of nowhere and parked my scooter in their driveway?”

Like many other people, Mr Johns depends on his mobility scooter for all outings and is frustrated by motorists’ attitudes. Car dealers and automotive shops along Great North Rd are among the worst offenders and show scant consideration for the elderly and the disabled, says Mr Johns. “It’s like we don’t exist any more,” he says. “You speak out, say something, and you’re abused. I’ve been treated like dirt . . . when all I’ve said is ‘I can’t get past the car’. “At times I’ve been forced out into the road - you know how busy Great North Rd can be. It’s dangerous, and yet we’re supposed to have right of way.

The Auckland City Council says many businesses have stopped flouting trading bylaws - such as the ban on car dealers parking display vehicles on footpaths - since it adopted a harder approach. Cars have been seized and some dealers face court appearances and fines of as much as $20,000.

Dealers say the tactics are harsh and want warnings to be handed out before penalties are imposed. But pedestrians are delighted that offenders are finally being punished. ‘The encroachment of footpaths is a real on-going problem,” says Walk Auckland’s Andy Smith. ‘A footpath is not an extension of someone’s driveway, although there are plenty of people who think like that.”

Although the council has no power under the Local Government Act to impose a fine, it is allowed to tow away offending vehicles and impound them for up to six months, after which they may be sold to cover costs. Repeated infringements will result in civil prosecution.

Mr Johns now takes a camera when he goes out to record any instances of what he considers to be illegal parking.

- Kris Hall