Mobility pass-holding residents say they are being ticketed for stopping on Federal Street for just a few minutes. Photo: RNZ / Maia Ingoe
Businesses and residents on a central Auckland street that has few options for parking are being stung by ticketing cameras.
Federal Street was made a shared zone for cars, pedestrians and cyclists two years ago.
Auckland Transport said dropping people off in the zone is allowed - but mobility pass-holding residents say they are being ticketed for stopping on the street for just a few minutes.
The portion of Federal Street between Mayoral Drive and Wellesly Street had what was described as a 'Parisian' makeover in 2022, removing options for parking.
There is a loading zone at each end of the street, between 6am and 11am.
Mobility pass-holding residents say cameras installed this year have driven up tickets, but without mobility spaces on the block, they do not have other options.
Noline Gray lives on Federal Street with her sister, who uses a wheelchair.
She has got a mobility pass and needs to stop near their apartment to drop off her sister before parking somewhere else.
When CCTV cameras were installed, they got hit with parking tickets.
"It's only happened this year, we started getting tickets for stopping outside our apartment. We don't park our car here, we park in a cheaper place. I generally will just unload her and then go and park the car," Gray said, as there are no mobility parks on their block of Federal Street.
She said the tickets were after stopping for only a few minutes.
"Four minutes long, this one is, three minutes... this is three minutes, forty three seconds, is what it's saying on the three tickets I've got in front of me."
A care provider to the family received a ticket after being parked for just 47 seconds, Gray said.
"One of the first tickets I received, I wrote back, explained the situation, said we've got our mobility parking ticket, they wouldn't flag the ticket."
She has since spent $100 so she can access their building's garage to drop off her sister.
48 French cafe owner Angel Ngan has a mobility pass for her shoulder injury.
"So my hand cannot lift up too heavy stuff, and my leg cannot stand too long, because [it gets] swollen. So my daughter got me the disabled licence."
She said she needed to park outside her shop to unload stock, and has been hit by parking tickets.
"And then here - just three minutes - and get a ticket, forty dollar.
"After 11 you can't stop anytime - it's unfair."
Her niece Nikki Yeung runs a cake business out of the cafe and said the 11am cut-off for loading zone parking was too restrictive.
She has tried to let Auckland Transport know what they were up against.
"I was telling the AT guy, because he did come and talk to us. I was telling him businesses don't stop at 11 - we still need to get stuff done in the afternoon.
"He was just here I think just to show that we got your email. Whether things will go forward, I don't think so, it was just a formality."
Angel Ngan said the tickets have hit business - with customers risking a $40 fine alongside the price of a coffee.
"And I run a business, the people come buy the coffee and go, oh forty dollar plus coffee, who sell the coffee for 47 in one cup of coffee, I don't think so," she said.
Yeung said it had also made it difficult for her customers.
"Imagine like them carrying two tier cakes, or tall cakes, how hard and inconvenient it is for them. This is just a short distance, but wouldn't it be easier to just have this space at least."
She said Auckland Transport was 'out of touch'.
"I think it's really unfair, and I just think that, they need to consider the businesses around here."
In a statement, Auckland Transport group manager parking services John Strawbridge said it was working closely with the disability community to improve access to the city centre, where space is limited.
He said CCTV cameras are used on Federal Street to monitor parking and a parking officer reviewed the footage before a ticket was issued.
He said Auckland Transport had received complaints about the ticketing on Federal Street, but plans remained to use more cameras to issue parking tickets in the city centre.
"The Fort Street shared zone is one area we are currently looking at, where we have had requests from businesses and the community to be more present in this area."
Paid parking during overnights and weekends was meant to be introduced this month, but has been delayed until at least December.
