Good morning, listeners. Welcome to our radio program “Information for New Immigrants”. Today we have Mr Julian Markos and he will talk to us about parking in the city of Whitehorse. Mr Markos, welcome to our program.
Thank you very much.
First of all, we’d like to know why many people get parking fines in the city of Whitehorse.
It’s true that many people get fines in the city of Whitehorse but this can happen anywhere in Australia if you don’t read the signs in the street where you want to park. In the city of Whitehorse, there are more than fifty people who get parking fines every day.
Why can’t they read the signs?
Some people don’t care about reading them. They know they are breaking the law but they don’t care. Most of them are young people. Others don’t have good English to understand what the signs say. Or they may have come from countries that have a different parking system.
What do we need to be careful about when we park our cars in the city of Whitehorse?
We need to look at the sign carefully and understand what it says. If you read a red sign , then you must be careful before you leave your car there. Sometimes people get parking fines because the sign says you are not allowed to park your car in this spot after four o’clock. This is normally written in red so people be careful. At other times, a driver sometimes parks his or her car in a loading zone.
What is a loading zone?
A loading zone is not for a family car. It is for a truck or a van. A driver is normally allowed to leave his van or truck for between fifteen and thirty minutes. A loading zone is used to deliver goods to shops and businesses. It is not to be used by people who want to leave their car to do the shopping. Of course after they come back they find that they have got a fine.
Why do we have metres in the city of whitehorse? I believe that people like to park their cars for free.
Yes, everyone likes to park their cars for free. There are metre machies in the city of Whitehorse near the shopping centre and the hospital in Box Hill and in other spots. This is to make sure the biggest number of people can use the spots there. The money goes to to help the council provide services for the people. Just be careful not to park for more than the time that you are allowed. Check your ticket when you park in a metred place.
Do some people leave their cars in metred areas without buying tickets?
Yes. Some people leave their cars. They think it will be OK if they leave their cars for a few minutes only. Sadly, this is the time when they get fines. I saw a lady who parked her car in a wrong spot without buying a ticket. She went to the supermarket to buy milk quickly. When she went back to her car, she saw a fine on her windscreen. She nearly cried. She was not happy and she was very angry. She said something out loud in a language I didn’t undrestand.
And how do they feel when they get these fines?
Of course they feel sad. They feel angry because they will have to pay the fine.
How long does it take for a person to pay his or her fine?
It normally takes 28 days to pay a fine. A person can pay it online these days using a credit card. If you don’t pay the fine, you will get another one.
What about the 40 kilometre speed limit during school times?
Yes, early in the morning when students go to school, there are areas where you are not allowed to drive your car more than 40 kilometres per hour. If you drive faster than that, you may get a fine.
Who gives these fines?
The police give these fines. You may have seen policemen carrying radars in their hands. A radar tells a policeman how fast a driver is going. If a driver is doing more than 40 kilometres, he or she will get a fine. We need to look after school children. We don’t want them to get run over by fast cars.
Are there areas for people with disabilities to park their cars?
Yes, you see them everywhere. You see them near the library, the shopping centre and the hospital. A person with a disability has a card to say that he or she is allwed to park in these spots. If another person wants to park his or her car there without having such a card, they will get a fine.
Can people park their cars on a naturestrip?
No, they can’t. If you park your car on a nature strip, you may get a fine. Also you can cause damage to the grass and the water pipes underground. Please, everyone, do not park your cars on a naturestrip. It is wrong. Council in the city of Whitehorse spends a lot of money every year to repair the damage caused by carelss drivers who park their cars on naturestrips.
What can people do if they think they have got a fine by mistake?
They can complain. On the back of the fine, there is information to tell you where to complain. You can write a letter and say why you think your fine is not correct and why you think you shouldn’t pay the money.
What can they do if they are not happy about the result?
They can go to the Magistrates’ Court. They can tell a judge why they think the fine is not right. It is a good idea to seek legal advice before you do so.
Well, Mr Markos. The information you’ve given us today is really important for all of us. Not only new immigrants. We are running out of time and have to stop here. I would like to thank you for coming her today and giving the information.
Not at all. I can make myself available if anyone has got further questions to ask about parking in the city of Whitehorse. They can contact me through your program.
Thank you very much.
