The Otago Daily Times was alerted to three parked cars being given tickets near the steepest part of High St.
One car had a $40 ticket for being parked in a prohibited area at 1.39pm and two others were given warnings.
Parking services team leader Daphne Griffen said it was not always obvious when cars were illegally parked because they had been "caught in the ice or snow", and "we get just as much criticism for not enforcing illegal parking" around the city.
She said parking officers "exercised their discretion" as much as they could.
"Everyone who gets a ticket is entitled to an explanation and that's when they can tell us what happened and we can make a call on it then."
The ODT reported last year that about 50% of those who write a letter to the council avoid a fine.
The driver of one of the cars, Rebecca Loader, said she was travelling to work and had her 5-month-old son in the car.
Like many other drivers, she pulled over and walked home because of the icy road, giving no thought to legal parking.
She said she did not mind getting a warning but might have been annoyed if she had been fined.
