A decision to refrain from slapping Tauranga motorists with a $150 bald tyre fine has seen just 30 warning notices issued by parking wardens.

Council voted 7-4 in favour ofcity parking wardens placing warning notices on windscreens in April, instead of backing the controversial plan to ticket and fine cars with dangerous tyres.

Tauranga City councillor Catherine Stewart is pleased with the response to the bald tyre warnings. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

The majority of councillors believed the ticketing approach was too heavy-handed and could have a negative effect in the community.

Tauranga City Council group communications advisor Alison Clifford says since the implementation in May, no $150 fines have been issued.

Instead, around five warning notices per month, equating to about 30 since May, have been dished out to vehicles with 'unsafe tyres”.

'The parking wardens have not encountered any incidents since implementation,” says Alison.

Councillor Catherine Stewart, who backed the softer approach at the time, says it's pleasing to see it paying dividends.

'I think it's good that it's just a reminder rather than a fine and I haven't had any negative feedback from anyone in the community over it,” she says.

'I also haven't heard back from staff either so everything must be working well.”

Catherine, at the time of the decision, said if parking wardens see a bald tyre they should do nothing more than put a note on the screen, as fines is something better left to the police.

Council 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.

The proposal was met with a widespread outcry and debate from Tauranga City councillors and the general public, forcing officials to back down from the proposal.

Tyres were a factor in the road deaths of two people in the Western Bay of Plenty in the last two years.

The latest council figures come a day after the New Zealand Herald reported the number of motorists fined by Auckland Council parking wardens for having unsafe tyres has almost doubled in the past three years.

In the last two months of 2010, 22 notices were issued, rising to 256 in 2011, 344 in 2012, 430 in 2013 and, so far this year, 388.

Catherine says the lack of fines highlights how council is effectively handling the situation as opposed to its Auckland counterpart that might be tarnishing the community relationship.

In Tauranga parking wardens already ticket ratepayers in the central business district for overdue vehicle registrations, and out-of-date warrants of fitness.

'I think our council is taking a more common sense and pragmatic approach with the matter,” she says.

'I'd like to think we are a welcoming city so I think it's a good approach.”