The Sydney Morning Herald claims the Lane Cove Council tops the list when it comes to issuing fines for parking in school zone areas in the Greater Sydney Area. Lane Cove Council has issued more than 30 parking offences per school in the Lane Cove Council area in the 2017 – 2018. They tied with North Sydney Council.
This does not come as a surprise. Council vehicles can be regularly be seen patrolling school zones at school drop off and pick up times. Although it may not be easy to identify the rangers utes as some cars only have markings on the side door. One ITC follower sent us in these pictures after the rangers photographed him as he was near a bus zone.
ITC spoke to some parents, who had been fined, and most of them had received a ticket for stopping in the bus zone.
The Sydney Morning Herald quotes a Lane Cove Council spokesperson who said their rangers “continue to see people putting others at risk” by parking illegally around schools that have “high parking demand”.
“Council does work closely with local schools on road safety and educating drivers about the signs that are in place,” she said. “[But] there is still a need to be vigilant with enforcement.”
Fines could increase in 2018 as several new offences were introduced at the start of the NSW school year. The new offences are:
The changes are:
Stopping in an intersection – if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points.
Stop within 20m of intersection (traffic lights) – if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points.
Stop within 10m of intersection (no traffic lights) – if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points.
Stop near bicycle crossing lights – if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points.
Obstruct access to ramp/path/passageway – if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $330 and 2 demerit points.
Not parallel park in the direction of travel – if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a $330 fine and 2 demerit points.
Parallel park close to the dividing line – if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a $330 fine and 2 demerit points.
None of the seven offences attract demerit points when committed elsewhere on the road but now in a school zone they each come with two points.
You can find a complete list of school zone offences here.
So beware, you may think it is okay to stop for five seconds in a bus zone to drop your kids, but this can be a costly exercise. You may not even know you have been fined until you receive the fine in the mail.
Do you have a local issue you would like help with? ITC is here to help just email us at [email protected]
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