A woman who was fined $193 for parking in her own driveway has revealed why she has to leave her car in that specific spot.
Megan Pass was fined this month for parking in the council-owned strip in front of her Pimpama home on Coomera Heights Drive, on the Gold Coast.
However, she told Ny Breaking Australia that the steepness of the driveway closer to her home causes the car's seat belts to lock – and she had no choice but to leave her car in the spot.
'The car is at the top of my steep driveway. “I always park there because you can't buckle up,” she said.
“We have parked there for almost seven years and have never heard a peep from the council or paramedics who have been here.
“Even the municipal workers who worked on the road here never said a peep when I asked if I was in the way.”
Megan Pass (pictured with her car) was fined $193 for parking in the city-owned portion of her driveway
Ms Pass revealed that her car's seat belts are fastened when she parks further up the driveway because it is too steep (photo, the fine)
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate previously argued Ms Pass was parked on “municipal land” and advised her to “park on the street or in the house”.
“It's a safety issue… that's why they imposed the fine, and it's part of local law,” he said.
Ms Pass dismissed the comment, noting that parking her car on the street could hinder emergency vehicles.
“Apparently the law is: if emergency vehicles can't get through the street, why are we being asked to park in them and make it harder for emergency vehicles to use the roads?” she said.
“I'd also like to know if that means no one can park in the driveway, past the mailbox, and we can't use it at all.”
Local law prohibits drivers from blocking access to paths or driveways, including their own.
The council's website explains that a resident's driveway ends at the boundary line, while the remainder of the driveway is considered a 'vehicle crossing', which is owned by the council.
“You may not stop for more than two minutes on a driveway or other vehicular access,” the municipality's website states.
Ms Pass has also criticized the two-minute rule, explaining that even if she parked on the side of her driveway, it would still take more than two minutes to buckle her children's seat belts on the side of the road.
Mayor Tim Tate advised Mrs. Pass to “park on the street or in the house,” but the mother believes on-street parking could hinder emergency vehicles (pictured, where Mrs. Pass parks in her driveway)
The council's website explains that a resident's driveway ends at the boundary line, the remainder of the driveway is considered a 'vehicle crossing' (above), which is owned by the council
'So apparently this law means that everyone, residents/traders/deliveries, can only stop for two minutes… Where is the common sense?' she said.
“(All of our neighbors) have extremely steep driveways. When I park the top, I have to drive to the apartment to put on my seat belt.
'My children take longer than two minutes to buckle up. So apparently I can get a fine for that too?'
A spokesperson for the City of Gold Coast Council told Ny Breaking Australia: 'The municipality handles complaints about this.
'Parking between the boundary of a private property and the curb can pose safety risks, such as forcing pedestrians on the road to go around a vehicle and blocking emergency vehicles' access to the property.
'Infringement code 043 (Restraining a vehicle on or opposite an access for vehicles traveling to or from adjacent property) is issued for vehicles blocking a driveway on public property.
“This also applies to vehicles parking in the driveway on public property between the boundary of the private property and the curb.”
However, the council's reasoning failed Ms Pass, who insisted the council must do a better job of informing residents if it is going to enforce the rule, regardless of the circumstances.
Ms Pass urged the council to use 'common sense' and consider the circumstances before fining residents (pictured, the council provided photo showing Ms Pass' fine)
“People need to actually know it's a rule, 90 percent of the responses say I don't block a sidewalk,” she said.
'I have to explain that it is literally about vehicles and not about pedestrians. Even if a guest stays, he or she may be fined.
'It's one thing to have a law, it's another not to make sure people are aware of it and give warnings when you know full well it won't be advertised.
“If it's a parking rule, maybe there should be a sign.”