This Mazda CX-5 was towed away on Monday for parking in an active bus lane on Lincoln Rd, Christchurch’s most ticketed street.
Parking in the street’s bus lane on weekdays from 7am to 9am and from 3pm to 6pm could mean joining the 273 vehicles that have been towed on Lincoln Rd so far this year, as of Tuesday.
It comes as new data reveals the top 10 streets to avoid when breaking parking rules.
Parking ticket infringements include overstaying paid parking time, not paying for parking when required, parking in a bus lane, or an expired warrant of fitness.
Lincoln Rd tops the list of streets with the most parking tickets, with 2841 out of 51,131 total parking tickets issued by the city council this year to August 31.
The road has a large number of parking spots that have a 60min time limit from 8am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 6pm on weekends.
Cambridge Tce is second, and Riccarton Rd third.
Lincoln Rd and Riccarton Rd have bus lanes which can be parked in, except during peak times from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm on weekdays.
Parks Towing has a contract with the city council to tow vehicles which break parking rules. The fine is $100 for parking in a bus lane, but there is no fee for a tow.
Vehicles parked in a bus lane during peak times are towed a short distance out of the way as standard practice.
If the car is unlocked or cannot be parked, it will be taken back to the Parks Towing depot at Owaka Rd in Wigram.
Among the most ticketed streets, many 120min parking spots on Cambridge Tce and Hereford St require payment.
Riccarton Rd and Montreal St similarly has a large number of time limited, but free, parking spots.
The number of parking tickets issued by the city council has remained similar since 2016, with the exception of 2019 and 2021 which had a higher amount.
City council transport operations manager Stephen Wright said the number of tickets was in direct correlation to the number of enforcement officers employed in any given year.
