The score of parked vehicles for sale on both sides of a busy South Dunedin road is forcing children to dice with danger after exiting double-parked cars, and making elderly mourners park further away to attend a funeral, says a concerned neighbour.
Maree McIntosh has lived in Hillside Rd for 14 years and said more vehicles displaying ''for sale'' signs were now being parked on both sides of the road near Bathgate Park.
''These bloody cars for sale have taken over the whole ... area,'' Miss McIntosh said.
Vehicles were often parked on the road for several weeks.
She was ''dumbfounded'' people were allowed to leave vehicles parked long-term on a busy road.
''It's so dangerous.''
People were double-parking when dropping children at the park and prospective vehicle buyers often double-parked to read the ''for sale'' signs, she said.
''All the traffic is tailgating.
''It's just an absolute mess.''
People travelled from far and wide to display their vehicles and she recently confronted an Oamaru man as he parked his car.
''I asked him 'don't you think enough is enough'.''
She wanted the car parks to benefit South Dunedin residents and business owners.
Gillions Funeral Services business manager Elizabeth Goodyear said the number of vehicles for sale parked in the area had been ''steadily expanding'' and sometimes encroached over the driveway of the funeral home in Hillside Rd.
''It makes it tricky to get the hearse in and out,'' Ms Goodyear said.
The funeral home had limited parking, so increasingly any elderly mourners attending a funeral had to park further away.
Ms Goodyear wanted the Dunedin City Council to introduce time-restricted parking to the area.
Council transportation policy engineer Jon Visser acknowledged parked vehicles were a problem which had escalated and action was needed.
The council was investigating options to allow children to access Bathgate Park safely and the elderly to park closer to the funeral home.
The council had a bylaw designed to ''stamp out'' roadside car sales, but it failed because it was a permitted activity in the city's district plan, he said.
People had the right to display their contact details on their vehicle, he said.
Council parking enforcement team leader Daphne Griffen said parking officers could only ticket a vehicle parked in the Hillside Rd area if it was unregistered or unwarranted.
An officer checked the parked vehicles this week and every one was compliant, Mrs Griffen said.
