Parking Ticket

Do bikes in Sydney have to pay parking meters? If so, since when?

I was parked between two cars in Quay Street, Sydney (CBD) and got a ticket
in the mail saying 'Offence: Park without current ticket'.

I regularly park there and have never received a ticket.

Where are you supposed to put the Parking Meter Receipt on the bike anyway?

 

Hmmm... interesting. If I was you I'd sign a stat. dec. saying that I did
have a current ticket and it was attached to the bike at the time I left it
there. Of course, I'd only be saying that if it were true....

Was the fine actually written for your bike? I assume it has your bike rego
on it... (silly question prob).

Anyway, don't take this crap. State clearly that you had done the right
thing to the best of your knowledge and leave it to them to prove otherwise.

Cheers and good luck,
Dave ZZR600 => ST2 (stolen) => '03 XX

 

Was the fine actually written for your bike?

Yep. The fine was sent in the mail (addressed to me with my rego details).

otherwise.

I intend to battle it. I just wanted to clarify the actual rules/laws first
incase I am actually in the wrong.

The problem is, my only option is to go to court. But I am willing to do
that rather than pay the fine since I am innocent.

Thanks for your reply.

 

How do you know you are innocent?
seek a clarification first then assume you are innocent.

--
i might just as well bend over now while the rich, dole bludgers and single
mothers take
turns fist fucking me up the arse!

Corks on a rant

 

Um, is that your only option? Why? Don't parking fines have a due date
these days and an address for the fine? I would be writing a letter, unless
you've held onto it for an eternity of course!

You're welcome. I hope you get off (and the same with the fine...).

Cheers,
Dave ZZR600 => ST2 (stolen) => '03 XX

 

Um, is that your only option? Why? Don't parking fines have a due date

I actually received a 'Penalty Reminder Notice' in the mail. But I have no
idea where the original notice is? I never received it.

I just presumed its because I ride a bike and they don't leave a ticket on
the bike.

I have until the 28th May to take action though, which is hopefully enough
time to try and sort it out.

On the notice it says 'Your Options':
- If you have sold your vehicle...
- If you were not the person responsbile for the vehicle at time of
offence....
- Pay the penalty
- Court

But, I will write a letter to the Infringement Processing Bureau (they
appear at the letter head) since thats what you suggest. Cheers.

 

I would ask them where to original ticket was left, as you did not receive
it. If they say it was on the bike and must have blown away they have
admitted it is possible for a piece of paper to blow away. So I paid for a
ticket and it must have blown away, try to call their bluff, (so to speak).

Or move to Melbourne, we park in to city for nothing, in bike parks and on
the foot paths.

It may be a small thing but god it's good.

 

An often successful ploy is to take the time to respond to all their
correspondence with a letter. Eventually (we hope) it won't be worth their
while. If it were me, the first letter would be along these lines...

Explain that you are only too happy to pay a fine if you have broken a rule.
State however, that this fine is puzzling as it is your first indication
that you've had an infraction and if possible, could they please inform you
where the original fine was placed (in the mail or somewhere on the bike).
Also include the bit where you paid for the parking ticket and left it
somewhere obvious on the bike using the Blu-tack that you always carry for
such occasions. Say that you thought you had done the right thing by paying
for the parking you used and that you would appreciate knowing exactly why
the fine was issued (of course we can presume why, but get them to tell you
again... hehe).

Always straight-talk and keep emotions out of it. State facts clearly
(especially the bit where you blu-tacked the ticket you diligently paid
for...) and leave it to them to respond. When they do, post their response
here and we'll move to round 2, eh? hehe

Hopefully you'll save a few dollars and can put them towards a well earned
case of beer!

Cheers,
Dave ZZR600 => ST2 (stolen) => '03 XX
P.S. How much was the fine?

 

I found this on the RTA site under Australian Road Rules.

Can I argue that the rule applies to "drivers" and not "riders" since there
is not clause for motorcycles?

---

207 Parking where fees are payable

(1) This rule applies to a driver who parks on a length of road, or in an
area, to which a permissive parking sign applies if information on or with
the sign indicates that a fee is payable for parking by buying a ticket or
putting money into a parking meter.

Note With is defined in the dictionary.

(2) The driver must:

(a) pay the fee (if any) payable under the law of this jurisdiction; and

(b) obey any instructions on or with the sign, meter, ticket or
ticket-vending machine.

Offence provision.

 

1013 is of the opinion:

No -- I've thought about this one too. There's something in the Acts or
Regs which defines 'driver' as (roughly) "a person nominally in control of a
motor vehicle", and defines "motor vehicle" basically as "a car, truck,
motorbike, pushbike, etc.". It's tight enough that you wouldn't want to
bother about arguing it.

- Matt

 

Ok, thanks anyway.

 

Thanks.

 

It worked for me in Canberra. I wrote a letter saying someone must have taken it, or else it blew away, and
they revoked the fine. And they also sent me a neat-but-useless little plastic thingummy for putting the
ticket in next time and fixing to the bike so it wouldn't blow away...which still does nothing to address the
problem of someone stealing it!!

Damien
GPX250 (stolen) -> CBR600

 

P.S. How much was the fine?

$68.00

I will tell you how it all works out. Thanks.

 

wot 'e said! There may be plenty of ways of getting out of a parking fine, but that certainly is not one of
them.

Damien
GPX250 (stolen) -> CBR600

 

I had a brief conversation with a parking officer one time about this. I
thought the same, where the hell am I supposed to put the bloody ticket, and
someone will just flog it anyway!

You can pay for the parking ticket and keep it on you. If in the event of a
parking fine, you can then reproduce the ticket and get away with it.
However, I guess you could just wait for someone else to finish parking and
ask for their ticket

Cam
'03 954

 

This sounds like an alright solution but if I park in the same area
everyday, I might continue to receive parking fines everyday and have to
keep re-producing parking receipts (or sending them off with a letter)? Not
exactly practical.

 

Matt Palmer said....

Yep, that's correct. I tried that tactic once, and found out the hard
way that it didn't work. The magistrate also treated me as a smartarse
and I was fined accordingly...

 

I once parked in a car park,( the foot path was full) and put the money in
the parking meter. I came back to find my bike parked nose into the gutter
and a parking officer writing out a ticket. I tried to explain to him that
my bike was in the last car space and pointed out the arc of where my bike
was to where it is now. He was not even going to listen to me until a shop
owner came out and told him that the car owner got out moved my bike and
parked in the spot. He gave the car a ticket ( as he did not pay) and told
me I would have to put it in writing when I got the ticket, I took three
months to sort it out. Keep on pushing.

 

No use writing to the IPB. Unless there was a mistake on the ticket,
ie in the rego, they will only tell you to take it to court. Standard
letter they send back to you. IPB only checks and processes the
infringements, they don't make rulings on them and they can't as they
are not a recognised court.

The original being lost doesn't make any difference. That is what the
reminder is for, in case some stole your original (yes, it happens,
people take them off other peoples cars and put them on their own to
fool the parking cops into thinking they have already been booked.)
So, by not receiving the original, doesn't make it null and void and
will only waste your own breath.

Driver/rider, well, motorcycle is a motorvehicle as such under the
Roads Traffic General Act (Aust' Road Rules), so a driver is a rider.
No such thing as a rider.

The only possible way to get out of it is to lie. Tell the truth, "I
didn't know" and the first thing that will be said, "Didn't you read
the signs?" Ignorance is no excuse to the law.

Lie. Go to court, look the magistrate in the eye and tell him you
bought one, quote an amount and a time, and stick to that story. Look
him in the eye of course, or else you could find yourself paying for
the fine, court costs, and, if you manage to piss the magistrate off,
and it does happen, he/she has the power to increase your fine.

So, if you're guilty, is it worth the stress, monet and your time to
worry about it?

Bikes have to pay for parking, yes it is rough especailly when you
have to pay the same amount as a car. But, there is free, untimed bike
parking in the city, you may just have to walk 5 minutes to wherever
you are going.

Good luck with it whichever way you decide to go.