Auckland City Learns Lessons from AKT Parking Scam Expose

 

Back in October, I exposed a disgraceful Auckland city parking towaway scam.
People supporting a local Sandringham Rd cafe, just along from Eden Park,  came out one Saturday afternoon to find to their amazement their cars gone.
Without warning, their cars had been towed away in one speedy military style swoop while they were eating brunch or ordering coffee. The reason was of a towaway zone imposed near Eden Park because of a Sunday afternoon game. The council hadn’t even popped their head into the cafe to warn them.

It was even more scandalous.
The motorists bitterly complained that when they parked there after 10am that morning there were absolutely no signs on lamp posts warning them not to park there – and to be frank, I couldn’t see any in the relevant area when I walked past  and took photos and posted them to prove the council had NOT posted signs.

My story was picked up by the Herald the following week but while the council investigated, there was, surprise surprise,  never an admission of guilt from the council.

What I never revealed at the time was that I accompanied one of the cafe patrons to the city - and in fact paid for his taxi to the towaway place in the city in the hope of persuading them of the injustice.

I was an independent witness to the incident and could confirm there were no signs all the way to the Kingsland train station because I walked it.

And I had photos to prove it.

At the towaway place , I was shocked by the “gangsta” treatment the customer -and I-  got.  Essentially you paid $114 or can f-off and not ever see your car again.

They were rude, unhelpful and extremely intimidating and threatening.

The person I went with was going to sue them but thought it would be four Auckland City Council QCs on $5000 an hour paid by the ratepayers versus his $20 an hour bush lawyer so he reluctantly didn’t fight city hall.

So I am glad that as a result of the publicity here, this afternoon, signs have now gone up days ahead of the Saturday game and all along Sandringham Rd.

Signs erected today re Saturday's game

There is now no excuse for motorists to not know a game is on. And that’s how it should always have been.

But it was an appalling example of how people can get treated.

Will it only get worse when the council gets super-powers?!

Original October story:: Auckland City $114 coffee towaway

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