In 2017 The Sunday Telegraph slammed Lane Cove Rangers for booking people who were infringing the “little-known” rule about no stopping within 3 m of double lines. After the Sunday Telegraph published their article, ITC suggested to the Lane Cove Council that if they were constantly booking people for infringing this little known rule they should embark on an education campaign rather than an enforcement campaign.
Confusing No Stopping Sign at Grace Street Lane Cove
This week a roving reporter spotted several cars on Grace Street with parking infringement notices for failing to observe the 3m double line rule. You will see from our cover photo and the photo below, if you did not know the 3m double line rule, you would think you have parked legally as you are parked behind the No Stopping Sign.
The Double Lines were only recently painted onto the road.
Lane Cove Traffic Management Advisory Committee
The changed parking conditions are as a result of the Lane Cove Traffic Management Advisory Committee reviewing the Grace Street and Burns Bay Road Intersection. See the proposed installation map for the changed parking conditions below. The proposed no stopping zone does not indicate a No Stopping Sign will be located in the middle of the No Stopping Zone.
Do You Know the Little Known Rule?
It is a little-known rule. I wonder how many of us remember it from our driving test? Not many is probably the answer.
ITC did not remember this rule until an incident about 13 years ago. ITC was dropping Miss ITC at daycare. Finding a park seemed a near impossible task until I saw one space near a side road entrance (not far from the intersection with the main road). I parked the car and made sure I was the appropriate distance from the corner. Then as if by some sort of great power a Lane Cove Ranger appeared from thin air and told me quite emphatically that I was breaking the law. He told me I should know the double line road rules better. Since then, I have kept my eyes peeled for those double lines and I don’t park near them.
The double lines are placed in a certain position for a reason. It is usually because the road is very narrow and if cars parked on both sides it would be impossible for buses or emergency service vehicles to pass. If you think about it, parking near double white lines means any vehicle passing your parked car has to cross over the double lines; which in itself is illegal.
Lane Cove Parking Infringement Stats
The parking infringement statistics are presented to Lane Cove Councillors in the Lane Cove Council Meeting Monthly Agenda Attachments. They are the last item on the Agenda in a document called Council Snapshot. Below is the latest parking infringement information provided in the September Lane Cove Council Meeting Agenda papers.
Last Financial Year Lane Cove Council issued 10 069 parking infringement notices.
Don’t Get Caught
If you see solid double lines – do not park/stop if you car will be located within 3m of these lines.
It would be a great if Lane Cove Council published a list of the top 5 Reasons for issuing Street Parking Infringement Notices. This list would be an educational tool.
Providing this type of information/education would confirm the Lane Cove Council General Manager’s position that parking fines are issued for safety reasons and not for revenue raising reasons.
Update – 18th September 2019
ITC has been advised by Councillor Andrew Zbik – Lane Cove Council that he raised this particular issue with council and pointed out the no stopping sign did not match up with the end of the double lines. Many people (incorrectly) think that a sign over rides any markings on the road. Lane Cove Council acknowledged it was confusing and they have relocated the sign and cancelled two people fines who were booked just after the new sign went in.
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