If you have been towed after parking in a bus lane on Lincoln Rd in Christchurch, you are not alone.
New city council data shows the busy arterial is the city’s most active stretch for towing enforcement.
So far this year to March 30, 23 vehicles have been towed and 755 infringement notices issued for illegally parking in bus lanes.
The fine is $100, with an additional $90 towing fee.
Riccarton Rd ranks a distant second, with just 30 infringements issued.
Both Lincoln Rd and Riccarton Rd have bus lanes which can be parked on, except during peak times from 7-9am and 3-6pm on weekdays.
However, despite the parking restrictions, many motorists on Lincoln Rd are still willing to take their chances.
Over a two-week period, The Star observed multiple buses delayed by illegally parked cars.
On one occasion, three buses had to navigate around seven cars in just 20 minutes during the 3-6pm restricted period.
One frustrated bus driver honked at a car temporarily stopped in the bus lane.
City council head of transport, Stephen Wright said motorists can be fined $100 for stopping on an active bus lane, even if they remain inside the vehicle.
He said the time limit was “one minute, if nobody leaves or enters the vehicle.”
Offending motorists receive their ticket in the mail.
“Utilising cameras is safer and more efficient,” Wright said.
Parking compliance officers and the footage from their body cameras can also be used as evidence for parking infringements.
Some motorists have taken to social media to vent their anger.
“It’s not every day now, but the tow truck used to hang out in the Lincoln Rd bus lane every afternoon ready to pounce,” one user wrote.
“It takes them 10 minutes to tow one car, so they can’t even come close to keep up with the number of people parking there, but they tow heaps of cars.”
Another posted: “It’s just a money-making scheme for the council. I got caught, and it was bloody expensive to get my car out.”
Wright said 907 vehicles (up to March 30) have been towed from Lincoln Rd since PARKS Towing was awarded the contract for enforcement in 2020.
A parking compliance officer accompanies the towing vehicle to ensure an “efficient turnaround of vehicles being relocated from the bus lane,” he said.
“I’m bloody annoyed, I only left the car for a couple of minutes.”
She said if The Star had not informed her of the towing, she would not have known where her car had gone.
There is no signage to help motorists locate their missing vehicle.
Wright said all towed vehicles were logged with the police and the council parking compliance operations office.
“Vehicles are relocated to the nearest safe place, usually a side street,” he said.
In some cases, cars are towed back to the PARKS Towing depot in Wigram “if the vehicle cannot be secured properly or an officer is unable to find a safe place to relocate it”.
He did not answer a question from The Star about how motorists would know if their vehicle had been towed.
Wright said the towing of illegally parked cars has improved bus travel times, allowing more buses to move unobstructed along Lincoln Rd during peak times.
Business owners say “aggressive towing” discourages people from visiting their shops. One owner said the drop in patronage during operational bus lane hours “was very noticeable.”
Another said it was difficult for customers to identify the specific bus lane restrictions among the many signs and traffic lights along the road.
1. Cambridge Tce – 1089 tickets
2. Riccarton Rd – 1043 tickets (includes 30 tickets for parking in a bus lane)
3. Lincoln Rd – 779 tickets (includes 755 tickets for parking in a bus lane)
4. Hereford St – 534 tickets
5. Montreal St – 447 tickets
MOST TICKETED ROADS IN 2025
1. Cambridge Tce – 4011 tickets
2. Lincoln Rd – 3434 tickets (includes 3295 tickets for parking in a bus lane)
3. Riccarton Rd – 3276 tickets (includes 84 tickets for parking in a bus lane)
4. Hereford St – 2061 tickets
5. Montreal St – 1760 tickets
HAVE YOUR SAY Been towed? Tell us your story. Email barry@alliedmedia.co.nz. Keep responses to 200 words or less
