A WELLINGTON district parking scheme means residents on Lipman Street cannot apply for residents parking because they live at even numbered properties.
The system limits residents’ parking to those on the odd numbered side of the road and has caused problems for people like Yeseul Kim who lives at an even number.
“When I first moved into the flat I just assumed I would be able to get one of those yearly resident passes,” says Ms Kim.
“But when I went to apply for it online my flat address never appeared on the list, so I rang the council up and they said I couldn’t get it because only the odd numbers could get one.”
The unfair rule came about in 2009 when Wellington City Council introduced a new parking scheme to align with the District Plan.
Parking services manager at Wellington City Council Colleen Thessman says the council agreed to make changes to the resident parking and the public was then consulted.
“Properties eligible for resident parking permits and coupon exemption permits fall within the District Plan zoning of ‘Residential’,” says Ms Thessman.
“The properties that are not considered eligible fall within the District Plan zoning of ‘Central Area’.”
For residents like Ms Kim, the boundary for this rule cuts right down the middle of her Mount Victoria Street.
“It would have saved me a lot of money to get a pass and be able to park on the street,” says Ms Kim.
“I wasn’t very happy about it because I had to buy a car park behind our building for the year, and that costs $25 dollars a week, which is quite expensive for a student.”
Lipman Street does have spaces for coupon parking, but since the even numbered side falls under Central Area, residents cannot apply for a one-off coupon exemption payment.
“The only choice I have had was to buy a car park,” says Ms Kim who doesn’t believe there are enough car parks for everyone living in the apartment blocks.
Ms Kim lives in a flat on the middle floor of a converted office block and says the rule of splitting the street in half is unfair and it should all be considered residential.
“Even if we are considered a Central Area, these are houses that people live in and so this side of the street should be considered residential.”
Ms Thessman says residents cannot get exceptions on resident parking, but did say there were alternative options.
“The options available to residents who are not legible for permits are they either need to pay for parking coupons and park in coupon parking areas, or they need to find off street parking.”
