Tauranga City Council's recently rescinded decision to give more powers to parking wardens is back on the agenda today with councillors having another look at the tyre safety issue.
The city's parking wardens were to begin checking vehicles for bald tyres along with their normal duties and fining motorists $150 per dangerous tyre from April 1.
Tauranga City Council is once again looking at the option of giving parking wardens the power to fine people for unroadworthy tyres.
The scheme, announced to coincide with New Zealand Police's TWIRL campaign, met with controversy from TCC councillors and the public.
Today the issue is to be discussed as part of a City Delivery Committee agenda which provides councillors with four options:
The status quo with no enforcement or other action regarding unsafe tyres. The staff report states doing nothing is against the Tauranga Transport Strategy and the Government's 2020 Road Safety Strategy.
Give drivers an information notice that their tyres are defective and need replacing. The staff comment is this doesn't resolve the problem of people driving unsafe vehicles.
An informational notice and the wardens report the vehicle to the Police. Police oppose this option because they don't have the resources to follow up each case.
The recommended option is a warning period followed by enforcement and an evidence based cancellation system. The vehicle owner is given two weeks to get good tyres or pay the fine.
This is planned as a one month ‘informational' period beginning May 5, and enforcement starting citywide from June 9.
Council is bound by its own prior decisions. Road safety is a significant focus area in the Tauranga Transport Strategy 2012-2042 and council support of an education and enforcement initiative in respect of safe vehicles is a key outcome.
Council's parking officers currently fine expired warrants of fitness and registration as an attempt to ensure vehicles moving around city streets are as safe. Now it's stated that driving a vehicle with compliant tyres is the most important component.
6 comments
Money has to come from somewhere
Posted on 23-04-2014 10:56 | By The Sage
I guess the Council has to crank up a bit of extra revenue to pay the new position of Chief Executive to the Mayor and to keep paying money to tyre kicking organisations such as Priority One.
It is already happening
Posted on 23-04-2014 12:21 | By Colleen Spiro
friends saw a person ticketing in town a couple of weeks ago, and all the guy used was his eyes....
Just imagine...
Posted on 23-04-2014 12:24 | By penguin
...how long it would take to check four tyres per car (and what about the spare?) while revenue is reduced from parking fines due to wardens being 'dedicated' to tyre checking? I would like to know how the council would prove that a tyre was below par on the day it was 'checked!' Seems the council has once again got itself tangled up in its own red tape and is facing another embarrassing situation.
APRIL FOOLS JOKE?
Posted on 23-04-2014 13:03 | By cptn scully
Hey people read the second paragraph as it mentions the start date April the 1st Maybe this is just a big April fools joke?
I say goodon council.
Posted on 23-04-2014 14:12 | By pushbikerider
If your tyres are up to standard, you will have no worries. I say good on council. I dont care much about people that wont keep their car up to standard but do for those injured because the car is not able to stop in time due to bald tyres.
T
Posted on 23-04-2014 21:47 | By Theodorus
It should NOT BE THE CITY COUNCILS JOB to get involved with checking cars,that is the job for the police,full stop!Next thing will the wardens be armed also?
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