THE lack of parking available to patrons of the Weinam Creek ferry terminal has resulted in a parking fine for a local who was waiting for a disabled space to open.
Don Aitken was booked on April 28 and received a fine of $154 in the mail for waiting for the parking space.
Mr Aitken said he had stopped for 10 minutes on the side of the road in between the lanes of parks and was careful to leave ample space for a car to overtake him.
“I was parked in a laneway waiting for someone to hop out of there for their parking spot,” Mr Aitken said.
“I was sure to stop on the side, so anybody who wanted to go through could drive past me, however, I saw this council car take a picture of me before he came in.
“I am a handicapped person and they never stopped to say ‘you’re holding up or your blocking traffic’ … I was sitting in the car waiting.”
Mr Aitken said he approached Council about the fine and the conditions he was booked in and said he was told he would have to take up the review in court.
“I know the laws about where you can park and where you can stop, but this was in a carpark,” he said.
Mr Aitken said he was unable to walk for long distances and relied on handicapped parking spaces when out in the community.
He said he was disappointed with the response from Redland City Council when he approached them about his fine.
“I am prepared to go to court about it … I want to make a song and a dance about it, that they’re trying to raise money, so I’ll do whatever I need to do because this is not right,” he said.
“I may be wrong, but money-grabbing tricks like that is just not looking after the people in the area.”
The Weinam Creek ferry terminal carpark currently has restricted spaces compared to previous availability due to a retail precinct and multi-story carpark development.
Mr Aitken said the handicapped parking spaces were vital for disabled people because the bus services around the Redlands were limited and could be expensive when used often.
“Thirty-five carparks have been taken away, so where does it leave people who can’t walk from further down the street,” he said.
“Sometimes we have to wait for a park to be available.”
