A Sydney woman was left baffled by a fine she got for parking in her own driveway — something she’s always done with no issue — but it turns out this is actually illegal. Brb, warning my mum stat.
Jäclyn Clairé, who lives in Bondi, took to Facebook to ask other locals if there had been a change in the local council rules after she received the notice for a $283 fine.
“Has there been a recent change in parking on Warners Ave?” she asked.
“I park in my driveway, leaving ample room for a double pram, as my car doesn’t fit in the garage. I’ve never had a problem until this ticket today.”
Others were equally as shocked as she was, with some recommending she contest the fine because they’d been doing the same for ages with no issue.
“We do the same, and a ranger told us that this is absolutely fine,” one person commented.
“Up in my street there are dozens of cars doing this [which] never get fined unless someone complains to council,” said another.
Another said they reckon “the rangers just don’t fine cars consistently enough for people to know it’s illegal”.
Others claimed “rules are rules” and gee, what a delight they must be to have around.
In case you’re wondering, it is actually illegal to park your across a driveway in NSW, unless you are “picking up or dropping off passengers”. As confirmed by Waverly Council to 7News, this is true even when it’s your own driveway.
This has always been a fineable offence under the Australian road rules,” a spokesperson said.
“Council has previously accepted this practice as long as vehicles are not encroaching/obstructing the footpath and acted on complaints.
“Due to recent ongoing high volume of complaints from residents and NSW Fire and Rescue, action is being taken.”
Sooooo yes, people were right, in a sense — the rule is often ignored by rangers, which means there’s a lot of inconsistency in how it’s handled from a legal standpoint.
I mean, how is it fair to be fined for something others are given a free pass for, especially when it’s your own driveway and — as Jäclyn claims — the car isn’t obstructing walkways.
Sydney councils get your shit together challenge.
