The likelihood of vehicle owners receiving instant fines for bald tyres is slim, as Tauranga City councillors look to begin discussions on the controversial plan next week.

Parking wardens were originally due to begin checking vehicles for bald tyres as an extension of their normal duties on April 1, instantly fining motorists $150 per dangerous tyre.

Tauranga City councillor Catherine Stewart believes giving motorists fines for bald tyres is a job for police, not parking wardens. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

The proposal, announced by TCC on March 19, was met with widespread outcry and debate from Tauranga City councillors and the general public.

As a consequence, Tauranga City Council announced on Monday the proposal is on hold until a long-term solution can be made.

TCC communications manager Frank Begley says the decision is due to upset with the proposal.

'We are now waiting for confirmation of what the elected members want to do. 'There is no further change at the moment, our parking officers are going about their business as usual.”

Councillors are scheduled to formerly discuss the issue at the next City Vision Committee meeting on April 15.

But Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout is confident they can make some decisions before then.

Any early decisions would be made without Mayor Stuart Crosby and councillor Matt Cowley, currently on a 12-day trip to Yantai in China and Hitachi in Japan.

'It's not the sort of thing that requires special council resolution so we don't necessarily have to wait for a formal solution,” says Kelvin.

'I'm pretty sure we should have something that we can let everyone know what our position is well before the 15th.”

Kelvin says the general consensus among councillors is to avoid fines.

'Issuing fines would be a very last resort, that's kind of where we're leaning toward.

'There is a legitimate safety concern, but by the same token we don't want to be living in a police state, so it's getting that balance right.”

Councillor Catherine Stuart says meetings will discuss key concerns expressed by the community.

These include the role of parking wardens, what councillors believe the community expects, whether fining for bald tyres is a job for police, she says.

'My personal thought is that is if parking wardens see a really bald tyre they should put a note on the screen, but I don't think they should be fining people, that's a police job.”

Catherine is pleased the proposal was put on hold, and says to enforce it without proper discussion would not have been democratic.

'Firstly without elective members' influencing the decision, and secondly without the community knowing the rational and reasoning behind it.”

The proposal was to coincide with New Zealand Police's TWIRL campaign, which began on April 1.