WCC's inadequate signage indicating a two way street incurs parking fine
D Dahya made this Official Information request to Wellington City Council
The request was partially successful.
From: D Dahya
Namaste Wellington City Council,
I am lodging this request because of the following situation I experienced recently which had a few unusual and questionable elements to it as well as believing the street was a one way street at the time.
On the 23rd of April this year I parked my vehicle on Kate Sheppard Place,a street I rarely use, which I believed to be a one way street,and so parked on the righthand side of the road. The street leads north- from Parliament end to Murphy street.
About the 29 May I received an infringement notice for the apparent infringement(on 23/4/23) of parking my vehicle in an unsafe manner-I must admit the description of the infringement was a little confusing- later I realised it was due to parking on the wrong' side of the road ie on the righthand side of a 'two way ' street.
'Failed to park a vehicle parallel to the direction of the roadway and as close as possible to the left'.
On hindsight, after understanding the apparent infringement received- the street is considered to be a two way street. However, the issue is the street appeared to be a one way street at the time and why did I believe so?
I checked online for the details of this infringement and found photos of my parked vehicle etc.
I then lodged an appeal on the 29/5/23 with an acknowledgement advising me they will respond in 10 days.
After not receiving any response from them after 10 days asked for an update .
On the 20/6 contact centre advises me they had already sent me a letter on the 31/5/23 explaining the result of my appeal.
I was only aware of this letter on the 21/6/23 when Parking Resolutions emailed it to me.
It states "We appreciate you did not receive the original infringement notice, the Parking Officer has noted they attached this to your vehicle.
However, the official notification is the reminder notice, which is posted approximately 28 days after the issue of the ticket."
"Based on the reasons above, this infringement will not be waived.
The Parking officer has taken photos of your vehicle parked on the street in relation to the rest of the street and of your vehicle windows to show you have no notes, notices or permits displayed, these would not allow the vehicle to parked illegally but the photos provide further evidence that nothing was visible to the Officer."
The photo's taken by the Parking officer also reveal that no infringement ticket was placed on the vehicle at the time.
- It also states that I have until 20/6/23 to either pay the fine or request a court hearing by the 20/6/23- that's right they advised me of this a day AFTER the due date for BOTH options.
POINTS:
-This is not about avoiding to pay the fine-not such a hefty amount relatively speaking (significant if you are unemployed) but more about why it wasn't clear to me that the street is considered a two way street.
- You can only enter it at one end of this street ie Molesworth Street.
- The ONLY road markings present(at the north end) indicate a one way street - a directional arrow pointing north. There are no road markings indicating a southerly direction for vehicles.
- On returning to the street recently to observe all signs, I noticed on entering the street from Molesworth Street, the righthand lane IS for vehicles exiting out the same end(Molesworth Street), but signage indicating this,a Giveway sign, is not visible entering the street, only on exiting at this end.
-The point of the relevant legislation is to prevent opposing parked vehicles from presenting a hazard to pedestrians but especially to other vehicles either parked correctly or driving past.
At the time the street was empty with no other vehicles on that street except possibly for one -parked in the 'correct' direction facing towards Molesworth Street.
-When I questioned why an infringement ticket was not placed on my windscreen at the time Parking Services responded:
"We appreciate you did not receive the original infringement notice, the Parking Officer has noted they attached this to your vehicle.
However, the official notification is the reminder notice, which is posted approximately 28 days after the issue of the ticket."
Note this is significant point as it is essential the vehicle owner be notified of any potential infringement as soon as possible as this impacts on job applications to some government agencies that require information on any outstanding fines. If you are not aware of the infringement you would give an untruthful/misleading answer to this question- and so the possibility of this being discovered would eventuate should you get the job as 'checks' would be made as part of the hiring process.
Subsequently, in this case, the process/policy of a government agency, would prevent you from being truthful in your job application. Refer to question 12 below.
- By the way the photo's taken by the Parking officer also reveal that no infringement ticket was placed on the vehicle at the time. Refer extract from letter below.
"Based on the reasons above, this infringement will not be waived.
The Parking officer has taken photos of your vehicle parked on the street in relation to the rest of the street and of your vehicle windows to show you have no notes, notices or permits displayed, these would not allow the vehicle to parked illegally but the photos provide further evidence that nothing was visible to the Officer."
-They 'neglected' to put the infringement ticket on my windscreen at the time the infringement was issued which prevented me from being aware of it.
-They 'failed' to respond to my 29/5/23 information request letter within 20 days which would have officially clarified the street as a two way street and not a one way street. Had they done so I would then have had enough time to pay the fine or request a court hearing as per my right.
-They 'forgot' to attach their 31/5/23 letter in an email sent to me on the 31/5/23, instead, I received the emailed letter on the 21/6/23 - a day after the fine was due and a day after the opportunity to request a court hearing.
- I refer you to a previous FYI request made some time ago, in particular, the additional note added today.
https://fyi.org.nz/request/5639-discrimi...
QUESTIONS:
Here some of the questions put to them in my 31/5/23 letter.
1. I would like to know the reason why there was no infringement notice left on my vehicle windscreen?
2. How long has the Parking warden, who issued the notice, been in the job?
3. How long has Kate Sheppard Place been a two way street?
4. Can you provide a time stamped record of your logs indicating when the infringement was initially logged(not the time the photographs were taken)?
5. The photograph taken at 16:17pm shows a vehicle behind my vehicle facing in the opposite direction to mine -towards Molesworth Street- was an infringement notice issued for that vehicle?
6. What is the reason for photographing the inside of my vehicle and the front of my vehicle (refer 16:16pm) when you already had a photo of the front showing my vehicle registration and so photographs 1,2,3 & 5 would have been sufficient?
6b. What additional information does that photo provide to WCC/Parking Services?
8. Why can’t you access the photographs of the infringed vehicle once an online appeal has been lodged as I needed to recheck my facts on the matter but was not able to access the photographs? So can this be changed?
9. Also, what is the reason for a 20 minute time limit to lodge an online appeal on your system?
10. Lastly, is Wellington City Council aware that Kate Sheppard Place can be seen as a one way street according to the majority of signs and road markings?
Here are some additional questions.
11. For anyone unfamiliar with this street how are they to tell if it is a two way street based on the points/facts and the current signage and road markings outlined above?
12. Is WCC required to place an infringement ticket on the windscreen at time of the infringement notice being issued(and taking a photo of it for evidential purposes and making it accessible to the vehicle owner)? If not, will WCC make it a legislative requirement from now on?
13. How many such infringement notices were issued(on Kate Sheppard Place) in the last 2 years and how many of those were paid,how many were waived and how many were sent to a collection agency?
Yours sincerely
D Dahya
D Dahya left an annotation ()
I refer you to a previous FYI request made some time ago, in particular, the additional note added today.
https://fyi.org.nz/request/5639-discrimi...
From: BUS: Assurance
Wellington City Council
Tçnâ koe D Dahya
Thank you for your email dated 29 June 2023 requesting information.
Our team will manage your request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 which requires us to provide a decision as soon as possible, but no later than Friday 28 July 2023, being 20 working days of receipt.
The reference number for your request is IRC-5127.
Please contact us if you have any further questions.
Kind regards
The Assurance Team
Email: [email address]
Wellington City Council | W Wellington.govt.nz | |
-----Original Message-----
From: D Dahya <[FOI #23308 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 29 June 2023 11:51 am
To: BUS: Assurance <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - WCC's inadequate signage indicating a two way street incurs parking fine
Namaste Wellington City Council,
I am lodging this request because of the following situation I experienced recently which had a few unusual and questionable elements to it as well as believing the street was a one way street at the time.
On the 23rd of April this year I parked my vehicle on Kate Sheppard Place,a street I rarely use, which I believed to be a one way street,and so parked on the righthand side of the road. The street leads north- from Parliament end to Murphy street.
About the 29 May I received an infringement notice for the apparent infringement(on 23/4/23) of parking my vehicle in an unsafe manner-I must admit the description of the infringement was a little confusing- later I realised it was due to parking on the wrong' side of the road ie on the righthand side of a 'two way ' street.
'Failed to park a vehicle parallel to the direction of the roadway and as close as possible to the left'.
On hindsight, after understanding the apparent infringement received- the street is considered to be a two way street. However, the issue is the street appeared to be a one way street at the time and why did I believe so?
I checked online for the details of this infringement and found photos of my parked vehicle etc.
I then lodged an appeal on the 29/5/23 with an acknowledgement advising me they will respond in 10 days.
After not receiving any response from them after 10 days asked for an update .
On the 20/6 contact centre advises me they had already sent me a letter on the 31/5/23 explaining the result of my appeal.
I was only aware of this letter on the 21/6/23 when Parking Resolutions emailed it to me.
It states "We appreciate you did not receive the original infringement notice, the Parking Officer has noted they attached this to your vehicle.
However, the official notification is the reminder notice, which is posted approximately 28 days after the issue of the ticket."
"Based on the reasons above, this infringement will not be waived.
The Parking officer has taken photos of your vehicle parked on the street in relation to the rest of the street and of your vehicle windows to show you have no notes, notices or permits displayed, these would not allow the vehicle to parked illegally but the photos provide further evidence that nothing was visible to the Officer."
The photo's taken by the Parking officer also reveal that no infringement ticket was placed on the vehicle at the time.
- It also states that I have until 20/6/23 to either pay the fine or request a court hearing by the 20/6/23- that's right they advised me of this a day AFTER the due date for BOTH options.
POINTS:
-This is not about avoiding to pay the fine-not such a hefty amount relatively speaking (significant if you are unemployed) but more about why it wasn't clear to me that the street is considered a two way street.
- You can only enter it at one end of this street ie Molesworth Street.
- The ONLY road markings present(at the north end) indicate a one way street - a directional arrow pointing north. There are no road markings indicating a southerly direction for vehicles.
- On returning to the street recently to observe all signs, I noticed on entering the street from Molesworth Street, the righthand lane IS for vehicles exiting out the same end(Molesworth Street), but signage indicating this,a Giveway sign, is not visible entering the street, only on exiting at this end.
-The point of the relevant legislation is to prevent opposing parked vehicles from presenting a hazard to pedestrians but especially to other vehicles either parked correctly or driving past.
At the time the street was empty with no other vehicles on that street except possibly for one -parked in the 'correct' direction facing towards Molesworth Street.
-When I questioned why an infringement ticket was not placed on my windscreen at the time Parking Services responded:
"We appreciate you did not receive the original infringement notice, the Parking Officer has noted they attached this to your vehicle.
However, the official notification is the reminder notice, which is posted approximately 28 days after the issue of the ticket."
Note this is significant point as it is essential the vehicle owner be notified of any potential infringement as soon as possible as this impacts on job applications to some government agencies that require information on any outstanding fines. If you are not aware of the infringement you would give an untruthful/misleading answer to this question- and so the possibility of this being discovered would eventuate should you get the job as 'checks' would be made as part of the hiring process.
Subsequently, in this case, the process/policy of a government agency, would prevent you from being truthful in your job application. Refer to question 12 below.
- By the way the photo's taken by the Parking officer also reveal that no infringement ticket was placed on the vehicle at the time. Refer extract from letter below.
"Based on the reasons above, this infringement will not be waived.
The Parking officer has taken photos of your vehicle parked on the street in relation to the rest of the street and of your vehicle windows to show you have no notes, notices or permits displayed, these would not allow the vehicle to parked illegally but the photos provide further evidence that nothing was visible to the Officer."
-They 'neglected' to put the infringement ticket on my windscreen at the time the infringement was issued which prevented me from being aware of it.
-They 'failed' to respond to my 29/5/23 information request letter within 20 days which would have officially clarified the street as a two way street and not a one way street. Had they done so I would then have had enough time to pay the fine or request a court hearing as per my right.
-They 'forgot' to attach their 31/5/23 letter in an email sent to me on the 31/5/23, instead, I received the emailed letter on the 21/6/23 - a day after the fine was due and a day after the opportunity to request a court hearing.
- I refer you to a previous FYI request made some time ago, in particular, the additional note added today.
https://fyi.org.nz/request/5639-discrimi...
QUESTIONS:
Here some of the questions put to them in my 31/5/23 letter.
1. I would like to know the reason why there was no infringement notice left on my vehicle windscreen?
2. How long has the Parking warden, who issued the notice, been in the job?
3. How long has Kate Sheppard Place been a two way street?
4. Can you provide a time stamped record of your logs indicating when the infringement was initially logged(not the time the photographs were taken)?
5. The photograph taken at 16:17pm shows a vehicle behind my vehicle facing in the opposite direction to mine -towards Molesworth Street- was an infringement notice issued for that vehicle?
6. What is the reason for photographing the inside of my vehicle and the front of my vehicle (refer 16:16pm) when you already had a photo of the front showing my vehicle registration and so photographs 1,2,3 & 5 would have been sufficient?
6b. What additional information does that photo provide to WCC/Parking Services?
8. Why can’t you access the photographs of the infringed vehicle once an online appeal has been lodged as I needed to recheck my facts on the matter but was not able to access the photographs? So can this be changed?
9. Also, what is the reason for a 20 minute time limit to lodge an online appeal on your system?
10. Lastly, is Wellington City Council aware that Kate Sheppard Place can be seen as a one way street according to the majority of signs and road markings?
Here are some additional questions.
11. For anyone unfamiliar with this street how are they to tell if it is a two way street based on the points/facts and the current signage and road markings outlined above?
12. Is WCC required to place an infringement ticket on the windscreen at time of the infringement notice being issued(and taking a photo of it for evidential purposes and making it accessible to the vehicle owner)? If not, will WCC make it a legislative requirement from now on?
13. How many such infringement notices were issued(on Kate Sheppard Place) in the last 2 years and how many of those were paid,how many were waived and how many were sent to a collection agency?
Yours sincerely
D Dahya
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #23308 email]
Is [Wellington City Council request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Wellington City Council? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
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If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
hide quoted sections
From: D Dahya
Dear WCC/BUS: Assurance,
Here is some additional information for consideration.
1. Unclear/confusing signage
The only road markings on the street appear at the northern end(once you have already entered the street and driven to the end) which indicate one-way street heading north towards Murphy Street.
There is signage visible to drivers travelling down Murphy Street stating 'No right turn' into Kate Sheppard place- implying that it is a one-way street.
There is signage, as previously mentioned, stating 'Giveway' at the southern end(Molesworth Street) indicating two lanes but this sign is only visible to drivers exiting the street, not on entering.
2.The infringement notice was issued on the basis that I was parked on the wrong side of a two way street. Kate Sheppard Place is not a typical two way street. A two way street has an entry and exit lanes at both ends. Kate Sheppard Place does not. It has a one lane 'exit only' at one end and a two lane entry and exit at the other. There is no clear signage to indicate the street changes from a two way street to a one way street.
3. The main point is that Google maps shows this as a one way street because Google considers this a one way street based on the available visible signage. So this is not a case of one person mis-reading the signage.
4. Do I need to withdraw my recent job application to WCC as lodging this request may impact on the outcome-please check with your Recruitment department?
Yours sincerely,
D Dahya
From: BUS: Assurance
Wellington City Council
Kia ora D Dahya,
Thank you again for your request for information below received via the
[1]FYI website.
I understand further questions have also been raised since this request
was made, under your personal email address. In answering this request for
information, and subsequent requests made via email, I have included
reference to information previously sent to you which contains your
private information.
As the FYI website publishes responses, I have made the decision to send
your response to your personal email address, rather than the FYI website
to ensure your personal information is not published and is protected,
however you will have the option to upload my response to the FYI website
if you wish.
I’ll be sending our response to your private email address momentarily.
Kind regards
Ollie Marchant
Senior Advisor | Official Information Team | Wellington City Council
E [2][email address] | W [3]Wellington.govt.nz | [4]Facebook | [5]Twitter
The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended
for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality
and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender
immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.
[6][IMG]
-----Original Message-----
From: BUS: Assurance <[email address]>
Sent: Friday, 30 June 2023 2:26 pm
To: 'D Dahya' <[FOI #23308 email]>
Cc: BUS: Assurance <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - WCC's inadequate signage
indicating a two way street incurs parking fine
Tçnâ koe D Dahya
Thank you for your email dated 29 June 2023 requesting information.
Our team will manage your request under the Local Government Official
Information and Meetings Act 1987 which requires us to provide a decision
as soon as possible, but no later than Friday 28 July 2023, being 20
working days of receipt.
The reference number for your request is IRC-5127.
Please contact us if you have any further questions.
Kind regards
The Assurance Team
Email: [7][email address]
Wellington City Council | W Wellington.govt.nz | |
-----Original Message-----
From: D Dahya <[8][FOI #23308 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 29 June 2023 11:51 am
To: BUS: Assurance <[9][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - WCC's inadequate signage
indicating a two way street incurs parking fine
Namaste Wellington City Council,
I am lodging this request because of the following situation I experienced
recently which had a few unusual and questionable elements to it as well
as believing the street was a one way street at the time.
On the 23rd of April this year I parked my vehicle on Kate Sheppard
Place,a street I rarely use, which I believed to be a one way street,and
so parked on the righthand side of the road. The street leads north- from
Parliament end to Murphy street.
About the 29 May I received an infringement notice for the apparent
infringement(on 23/4/23) of parking my vehicle in an unsafe manner-I must
admit the description of the infringement was a little confusing- later I
realised it was due to parking on the wrong' side of the road ie on the
righthand side of a 'two way ' street.
'Failed to park a vehicle parallel to the direction of the roadway and as
close as possible to the left'.
On hindsight, after understanding the apparent infringement received- the
street is considered to be a two way street. However, the issue is the
street appeared to be a one way street at the time and why did I believe
so?
I checked online for the details of this infringement and found photos of
my parked vehicle etc.
I then lodged an appeal on the 29/5/23 with an acknowledgement advising me
they will respond in 10 days.
After not receiving any response from them after 10 days asked for an
update .
On the 20/6 contact centre advises me they had already sent me a letter on
the 31/5/23 explaining the result of my appeal.
I was only aware of this letter on the 21/6/23 when Parking Resolutions
emailed it to me.
It states "We appreciate you did not receive the original infringement
notice, the Parking Officer has noted they attached this to your vehicle.
However, the official notification is the reminder notice, which is posted
approximately 28 days after the issue of the ticket."
"Based on the reasons above, this infringement will not be waived.
The Parking officer has taken photos of your vehicle parked on the street
in relation to the rest of the street and of your vehicle windows to show
you have no notes, notices or permits displayed, these would not allow the
vehicle to parked illegally but the photos provide further evidence that
nothing was visible to the Officer."
The photo's taken by the Parking officer also reveal that no infringement
ticket was placed on the vehicle at the time.
- It also states that I have until 20/6/23 to either pay the fine or
request a court hearing by the 20/6/23- that's right they advised me of
this a day AFTER the due date for BOTH options.
POINTS:
-This is not about avoiding to pay the fine-not such a hefty amount
relatively speaking (significant if you are unemployed) but more about why
it wasn't clear to me that the street is considered a two way street.
- You can only enter it at one end of this street ie Molesworth Street.
- The ONLY road markings present(at the north end) indicate a one way
street - a directional arrow pointing north. There are no road markings
indicating a southerly direction for vehicles.
- On returning to the street recently to observe all signs, I noticed on
entering the street from Molesworth Street, the righthand lane IS for
vehicles exiting out the same end(Molesworth Street), but signage
indicating this,a Giveway sign, is not visible entering the street, only
on exiting at this end.
-The point of the relevant legislation is to prevent opposing parked
vehicles from presenting a hazard to pedestrians but especially to other
vehicles either parked correctly or driving past.
At the time the street was empty with no other vehicles on that street
except possibly for one -parked in the 'correct' direction facing towards
Molesworth Street.
-When I questioned why an infringement ticket was not placed on my
windscreen at the time Parking Services responded:
"We appreciate you did not receive the original infringement notice, the
Parking Officer has noted they attached this to your vehicle.
However, the official notification is the reminder notice, which is posted
approximately 28 days after the issue of the ticket."
Note this is significant point as it is essential the vehicle owner be
notified of any potential infringement as soon as possible as this impacts
on job applications to some government agencies that require information
on any outstanding fines. If you are not aware of the infringement you
would give an untruthful/misleading answer to this question- and so the
possibility of this being discovered would eventuate should you get the
job as 'checks' would be made as part of the hiring process.
Subsequently, in this case, the process/policy of a government agency,
would prevent you from being truthful in your job application. Refer to
question 12 below.
- By the way the photo's taken by the Parking officer also reveal that no
infringement ticket was placed on the vehicle at the time. Refer extract
from letter below.
"Based on the reasons above, this infringement will not be waived.
The Parking officer has taken photos of your vehicle parked on the street
in relation to the rest of the street and of your vehicle windows to show
you have no notes, notices or permits displayed, these would not allow the
vehicle to parked illegally but the photos provide further evidence that
nothing was visible to the Officer."
-They 'neglected' to put the infringement ticket on my windscreen at the
time the infringement was issued which prevented me from being aware of
it.
-They 'failed' to respond to my 29/5/23 information request letter within
20 days which would have officially clarified the street as a two way
street and not a one way street. Had they done so I would then have had
enough time to pay the fine or request a court hearing as per my right.
-They 'forgot' to attach their 31/5/23 letter in an email sent to me on
the 31/5/23, instead, I received the emailed letter on the 21/6/23 - a day
after the fine was due and a day after the opportunity to request a court
hearing.
- I refer you to a previous FYI request made some time ago, in particular,
the additional note added today.
[10]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
QUESTIONS:
Here some of the questions put to them in my 31/5/23 letter.
1. I would like to know the reason why there was no infringement notice
left on my vehicle windscreen?
2. How long has the Parking warden, who issued the notice, been in the
job?
3. How long has Kate Sheppard Place been a two way street?
4. Can you provide a time stamped record of your logs indicating when the
infringement was initially logged(not the time the photographs were
taken)?
5. The photograph taken at 16:17pm shows a vehicle behind my vehicle
facing in the opposite direction to mine -towards Molesworth Street- was
an infringement notice issued for that vehicle?
6. What is the reason for photographing the inside of my vehicle and the
front of my vehicle (refer 16:16pm) when you already had a photo of the
front showing my vehicle registration and so photographs 1,2,3 & 5 would
have been sufficient?
6b. What additional information does that photo provide to WCC/Parking
Services?
8. Why can’t you access the photographs of the infringed vehicle once an
online appeal has been lodged as I needed to recheck my facts on the
matter but was not able to access the photographs? So can this be changed?
9. Also, what is the reason for a 20 minute time limit to lodge an online
appeal on your system?
10. Lastly, is Wellington City Council aware that Kate Sheppard Place can
be seen as a one way street according to the majority of signs and road
markings?
Here are some additional questions.
11. For anyone unfamiliar with this street how are they to tell if it is a
two way street based on the points/facts and the current signage and road
markings outlined above?
12. Is WCC required to place an infringement ticket on the windscreen at
time of the infringement notice being issued(and taking a photo of it for
evidential purposes and making it accessible to the vehicle owner)? If
not, will WCC make it a legislative requirement from now on?
13. How many such infringement notices were issued(on Kate Sheppard Place)
in the last 2 years and how many of those were paid,how many were waived
and how many were sent to a collection agency?
Yours sincerely
D Dahya
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[11][FOI #23308 email]
Is [12][Wellington City Council request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests
to Wellington City Council? If so, please contact us using this form:
[13]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[14]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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hide quoted sections
From: D Dahya
Dear BUS: Assurance,
1. In July WCC advised that they have waived the infringement on the basis I genuinely believed I parked in the correct manner(which I did believe at the time) - but only after it was sent to a debt collection agency,Baycorp, who have refused to confirm whether it has impacted on my credit rating. This would affect my ability to apply for loans,travel and other things etc.
2. Despite this, I consider the matter unresolved as I believed at the time I was parked correctly and it was a one way street-which I realise now it is not.
My point is that, why did I believe it was just a one way street?
It was due to the fact that there is more signage indicating it as a one way street then two way streets and will only result in repeated future instances of the same infringements- what benefit would that be to WCC?
I asked whether there were similar infringements of this nature and WCC have stated that there were several in the space of 2 years.
4. In May, a letter from Parking Resolution team advised the ticket would not be waived -citing the parking officer's photographs provided proof I was parked incorrectly- one of my issue has always been the manner in which I was notified of the infringement.
Ironically, the photographs also provided proof that they were taken after the infringement notice was issued and so should have shown the ticket on my windscreen.
3. The issue of why the infringement ticket wasn't left on the windscreen of my vehicle is still outstanding. This is a significant point as it determined when I became aware of the infringement notice. When I did receive the infringement letter, I lodged an appeal and after receiving no reply I asked for an update . I received the outcome of my appeal a day AFTER the deadline to both pay the infringement notice and to request a court hearing.
I have found that photographs of my windscreen taken by the parking warden were taken AFTER the ticket was issued, therefore, I would like to know why there isn't a photograph showing the ticket on my windscreen?
WCC have advised that the Parking Warden advised the ticket was placed on the windscreen. WCC have advised a force of nature beyond the control of WCC has removed it.
So, a force of nature has apparently removed it between the time the ticket was issued to the time the photographs were taken- in a matter of seconds?
6. The WCC need to improve the signage to indicate it is considered both a two way AND a one way street by WCC.
The street lacks CLEAR signage stating the street changes from a two way street to a one way street.
It lacks any CLEAR signage showing the demarcation point between a two way and a one way street.
WCC have stated there are one way arrows on the road itself- I would expect this for anyone believing it is a one way street.
There is one small elevated sign(on the righthand side) that states 'One way' (it is really only noticeable if you are looking for it)but there isn't any signage indicating the street changes from a two way to a one way street.
7. For any unusual streets, that are both two way and one way, there should be directional arrows marked in ALL car spaces themselves and not just at the demarcation point.
8. I have experienced a similar unusual handling of infringement notices by WCC previously issued to me.
Refer https://fyi.org.nz/request/5639-discrimi...
Yours sincerely,
D Dahya
From: BUS: Assurance
Wellington City Council
Kia ora D Dahya
Thank you for contacting Wellington City Council. We have received your email and logged it in our system - your reference number is IRC-5426.
Kind regards,
The Assurance Team
Email: [email address]
Wellington City Council | W Wellington.govt.nz | |
The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.
-----Original Message-----
From: D Dahya <[FOI #23308 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 7 September 2023 12:36 pm
To: BUS: Assurance <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - WCC's inadequate signage indicating a two way street incurs parking fine
Dear BUS: Assurance,
1. In July WCC advised that they have waived the infringement on the basis I genuinely believed I parked in the correct manner(which I did believe at the time) - but only after it was sent to a debt collection agency,Baycorp, who have refused to confirm whether it has impacted on my credit rating. This would affect my ability to apply for loans,travel and other things etc.
2. Despite this, I consider the matter unresolved as I believed at the time I was parked correctly and it was a one way street-which I realise now it is not.
My point is that, why did I believe it was just a one way street?
It was due to the fact that there is more signage indicating it as a one way street then two way streets and will only result in repeated future instances of the same infringements- what benefit would that be to WCC?
I asked whether there were similar infringements of this nature and WCC have stated that there were several in the space of 2 years.
4. In May, a letter from Parking Resolution team advised the ticket would not be waived -citing the parking officer's photographs provided proof I was parked incorrectly- one of my issue has always been the manner in which I was notified of the infringement.
Ironically, the photographs also provided proof that they were taken after the infringement notice was issued and so should have shown the ticket on my windscreen.
3. The issue of why the infringement ticket wasn't left on the windscreen of my vehicle is still outstanding. This is a significant point as it determined when I became aware of the infringement notice. When I did receive the infringement letter, I lodged an appeal and after receiving no reply I asked for an update . I received the outcome of my appeal a day AFTER the deadline to both pay the infringement notice and to request a court hearing.
I have found that photographs of my windscreen taken by the parking warden were taken AFTER the ticket was issued, therefore, I would like to know why there isn't a photograph showing the ticket on my windscreen?
WCC have advised that the Parking Warden advised the ticket was placed on the windscreen. WCC have advised a force of nature beyond the control of WCC has removed it.
So, a force of nature has apparently removed it between the time the ticket was issued to the time the photographs were taken- in a matter of seconds?
6. The WCC need to improve the signage to indicate it is considered both a two way AND a one way street by WCC.
The street lacks CLEAR signage stating the street changes from a two way street to a one way street.
It lacks any CLEAR signage showing the demarcation point between a two way and a one way street.
WCC have stated there are one way arrows on the road itself- I would expect this for anyone believing it is a one way street.
There is one small elevated sign(on the righthand side) that states 'One way' (it is really only noticeable if you are looking for it)but there isn't any signage indicating the street changes from a two way to a one way street.
7. For any unusual streets, that are both two way and one way, there should be directional arrows marked in ALL car spaces themselves and not just at the demarcation point.
8. I have experienced a similar unusual handling of infringement notices by WCC previously issued to me.
Refer https://fyi.org.nz/request/5639-discrimi...
Yours sincerely,
D Dahya
-----Original Message-----
Kia ora D Dahya,
Thank you again for your request for information below received via the [1]FYI website.
I understand further questions have also been raised since this request was made, under your personal email address. In answering this request for information, and subsequent requests made via email, I have included reference to information previously sent to you which contains your private information.
As the FYI website publishes responses, I have made the decision to send your response to your personal email address, rather than the FYI website to ensure your personal information is not published and is protected, however you will have the option to upload my response to the FYI website if you wish.
I'll be sending our response to your private email address momentarily.
Kind regards
Ollie Marchant
Senior Advisor | Official Information Team | Wellington City Council E [2][email address] | W [3]Wellington.govt.nz | [4]Facebook | [5]Twitter The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.
[6][IMG]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #23308 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
hide quoted sections
Parker Car left an annotation ()
I had the same issue in Lady Elizabeth Lane. Narrow road, no markings and non standard signage different to the gazette notice. Very common for cars to park the "wrong" way near One Red Dog. E.g. See google street view.
From: BUS: Assurance
Wellington City Council
Kia ora D Dahya,
Please find attached the response to your correspondence received on 7 September 2023.
Kind regards
Ollie Marchant
Senior Advisor | Official Information Team | Wellington City Council
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |
The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.
-----Original Message-----
From: BUS: Assurance <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 11 September 2023 10:14 am
To: D Dahya <[FOI #23308 email]>
Cc: BUS: Assurance <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - WCC's inadequate signage indicating a two way street incurs parking fine
Kia ora D Dahya
Thank you for contacting Wellington City Council. We have received your email and logged it in our system - your reference number is IRC-5426.
Kind regards,
The Assurance Team
Email: [email address]
Wellington City Council | W Wellington.govt.nz | |
The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.
-----Original Message-----
From: D Dahya <[FOI #23308 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 7 September 2023 12:36 pm
To: BUS: Assurance <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - WCC's inadequate signage indicating a two way street incurs parking fine
Dear BUS: Assurance,
1. In July WCC advised that they have waived the infringement on the basis I genuinely believed I parked in the correct manner(which I did believe at the time) - but only after it was sent to a debt collection agency,Baycorp, who have refused to confirm whether it has impacted on my credit rating. This would affect my ability to apply for loans,travel and other things etc.
2. Despite this, I consider the matter unresolved as I believed at the time I was parked correctly and it was a one way street-which I realise now it is not.
My point is that, why did I believe it was just a one way street?
It was due to the fact that there is more signage indicating it as a one way street then two way streets and will only result in repeated future instances of the same infringements- what benefit would that be to WCC?
I asked whether there were similar infringements of this nature and WCC have stated that there were several in the space of 2 years.
4. In May, a letter from Parking Resolution team advised the ticket would not be waived -citing the parking officer's photographs provided proof I was parked incorrectly- one of my issue has always been the manner in which I was notified of the infringement.
Ironically, the photographs also provided proof that they were taken after the infringement notice was issued and so should have shown the ticket on my windscreen.
3. The issue of why the infringement ticket wasn't left on the windscreen of my vehicle is still outstanding. This is a significant point as it determined when I became aware of the infringement notice. When I did receive the infringement letter, I lodged an appeal and after receiving no reply I asked for an update . I received the outcome of my appeal a day AFTER the deadline to both pay the infringement notice and to request a court hearing.
I have found that photographs of my windscreen taken by the parking warden were taken AFTER the ticket was issued, therefore, I would like to know why there isn't a photograph showing the ticket on my windscreen?
WCC have advised that the Parking Warden advised the ticket was placed on the windscreen. WCC have advised a force of nature beyond the control of WCC has removed it.
So, a force of nature has apparently removed it between the time the ticket was issued to the time the photographs were taken- in a matter of seconds?
6. The WCC need to improve the signage to indicate it is considered both a two way AND a one way street by WCC.
The street lacks CLEAR signage stating the street changes from a two way street to a one way street.
It lacks any CLEAR signage showing the demarcation point between a two way and a one way street.
WCC have stated there are one way arrows on the road itself- I would expect this for anyone believing it is a one way street.
There is one small elevated sign(on the righthand side) that states 'One way' (it is really only noticeable if you are looking for it)but there isn't any signage indicating the street changes from a two way to a one way street.
7. For any unusual streets, that are both two way and one way, there should be directional arrows marked in ALL car spaces themselves and not just at the demarcation point.
8. I have experienced a similar unusual handling of infringement notices by WCC previously issued to me.
Refer https://fyi.org.nz/request/5639-discrimi...
Yours sincerely,
D Dahya
-----Original Message-----
Kia ora D Dahya,
Thank you again for your request for information below received via the [1]FYI website.
I understand further questions have also been raised since this request was made, under your personal email address. In answering this request for information, and subsequent requests made via email, I have included reference to information previously sent to you which contains your private information.
As the FYI website publishes responses, I have made the decision to send your response to your personal email address, rather than the FYI website to ensure your personal information is not published and is protected, however you will have the option to upload my response to the FYI website if you wish.
I'll be sending our response to your private email address momentarily.
Kind regards
Ollie Marchant
Senior Advisor | Official Information Team | Wellington City Council E [2][email address] | W [3]Wellington.govt.nz | [4]Facebook | [5]Twitter The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.
[6][IMG]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #23308 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
hide quoted sections
D Dahya left an annotation ()
WCC have not addresses my initial point- Google maps shows this street as a one way street so there will be further, and continued, instances of such infringements ie out of towners/those not familiar with the street will assume this is a one way street and will park on both sides of the street allowing WCC to continue to collect infringement fees.
WCC have not indicated they intend to rectify this misleading information shown in Google maps. An advanced technology used by most NZ government agencies including WCC staff themselves especially parking wardens.
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D Dahya left an annotation ()
TIMELINE:
1. About the 29 May I received an infringement notice for the apparent infringement on the 23/4/23 for parking my vehicle in an unsafe manner-I must admit the description of the infringement was a little confusing(refer below)- later I realised it was due to parking on the wrong' side of the road ie on the righthand side of a 'two way ' street despite still believing was a one way street.
'Failed to park a vehicle parallel to the direction of the roadway and as close as possible to the left'.
After understanding the apparent infringement,I realise they meant that I was parked on the wrong side on a two way street.
I checked online for the details of this infringement and found photos etc.
2. I then lodged an appeal on the 29/5/23 with an acknowledgement advising me they will respond in 10 days.
3. On the 31/5/23 in addition to my appeal, I emailed an information request letter(29/5/23) to Parking Services asking several questions for clarification on the matter.
4. On the 20/6/23 I emailed parking services advising it has been more than 10 days and I have not heard from them and could they provide an update.
5. On the 20/6/23 I receive the following response from Customer Services.
'Your ticket has now been passed through for the attention of our Parking Resolutions team'
6. On the 20/6/23 I receive another response from WCC's contact centre.
'It appears that the resolution team had replied to 31st May 2023 and this was posted out to [my address]...'
7. On the 21/6/23 I receive the response from Parking Resolutions - a letter they claimed to have sent me on the 31/5/23 (I have asked them to re-send the this initial 31/5/23 email).
'Please see the attached response to your appeal which was sent by our office on 31 May 2023.
A paper copy has also been sent to the address listed on file, today also.
Please be aware the due date for your infringement to be paid was 20 June 2023.
Payment is due immediately.'
The letter states...
'Thank you for taking the time to explain your circumstances for us to consider.
We appreciate you did not receive the original infringement notice, the Parking Officer has noted they attached this to your vehicle.
However, the official notification is the reminder notice, which is posted approximately 28 days after the issue of the ticket.
This infringement was issued because your vehicle was parked facing the wrong way on a two-way street.
Parking a vehicle facing the wrong way on a public road is an offence as stated in the New Zealand Road Code with which drivers are expected to comply.
This is a possible safety hazard as drivers must turn or reverse into oncoming traffic when entering or exiting the parking space.
There is a default position that unless indicated otherwise by signage, the road is considered two way and normal left-hand parking applies.
Based on the reasons above, this infringement will not be waived.
The Parking officer has taken photos of your vehicle parked on the street in relation to the rest of the street and of your vehicle windows to show you have no notes, notices or permits displayed, these would not allow the vehicle to parked illegally but the photos provide further evidence that nothing was visible to the Officer.
The infringement photos are time and date stamped and show when they were logged on the system this is further shown by the infringement issue time of 16:15.
Please pay your infringement of $40.00 by 20 June 2023. If payment is not made by this time, your infringement may be passed on to a debt collection agency.
You can pay:
- online at wellington.govt.nz/parking or by phoning 04 499 4444
- in person at our Service Centre, 12 Manners Street, Wellington
If you disagree with our decision, you can choose to have this matter heard by the Court. A request for a Court Hearing must be received in writing by 20 June 2023. Please visit wellington.govt.nz/parkinghearing to find out more.'
*End of letter.
8. On the 22/6/23 I sent an email to Parking Resolutions' stating 'I have not received any response to my 29/5/23 appeal until yesterday, when I received a copy of Parking Services letter dated 31/5/23. The email (copied below)in which it was attached states it has only now been posted to me but implies it was emailed to me on the 31/5/23. I then asked for this email to be re-sent to me.
'Please see the attached response to your appeal which was sent by our office on 31 May 2023.
A paper copy has also been sent to the address listed on file, today also.
Please be aware the due date for your infringement to be paid was 20 June 2023. Payment is due immediately.'
9. On the 22/6/23 Parking Resolutions re-sent(as per my request) the 31/5/23 email apparently containing the 31/5/23 letter advising me of outcome of my appeal. The problem is that there wasn't any letter attached to the email and so I did not receive the 31/5/23 letter on the 31/5/23, instead, I received it on the 21/6/23 -one day after the infringement fine was due and and a day after the opportunity to request a court hearing.
*End of timeline
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