You can get $70 for parking a few minutes over in the wrong spot, $150 for driving in a bus lane at the wrong time, which is the same texting while driving, an act that could, in theory, distract you enough to kill somebody on the road.
So what gives?
You get $30 for going a few Kms over 100 on a main road.
Anyone who's been to Australia knows things are different. Way harsher. People, generally, follow the rules as a result.
Burt that doesn't mean nobody's crashing and dying on their roads, does it.
The problem is revenue gathering. If you actually set the fines based on the potentially damage an action may cause, we'd have a totally different system and set of punishments.
But you'd also have councils and cops who take the piss and revenue grab - speeding cameras in areas nobody's seen a crash in decades.
That's basically why we are where we are.
There is one change they can make that I support - free parking for over 80s.
Gore already does it. Oamaru is looking at doing it.
They've got new parking meters installed in December and it's apparently, according to Age Concern, making the elderly anxious.
They're digital. You get two hours free but then have to enter your details for a third hour.
The fear of getting a $70 ticket is too much for them so they just don't drive into town. That's a massive setback for an older person.
That's less chatting to people in the mall, shop-owners and cafe owners, less socialising.
If you've made it to 80, you deserve to head into town. In your own car. Without being scared of half yah pension flying out the window in fines.
Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
Digital meters are horrible to use - even when you’re 40!
Most of the you can’t see the screen because the sun. Is shining or some dipshit forgot to test the colour combo in natural daylight or darkness- the fonts used are too small - many 16yr olds can’t use them because bank cards are required which they often don’t hVe….you name it they’re just rubbish
Numbers are simply made up, not based on any logical criteria or research. Same as balustrades needing to be 1m. Or Air NZ saying 7kg max carry-on weight (clearly Air NZ has done research other airlines haven't).
I don't see the argument made (tech anxiety) as valid for extending yet another deal for older people to save money. Two hours free for everyone should be enough to come to town and get essentials done. I'm 78, and think it's high time we stopped loading up freebies for people over 65 and considered spending more on children at risk, for example.
Tech anxiety is valid for the elderly,I assure you.I now never drive in to town unless it is for something I can't do elsewhere.Clive should try and live on a widows pension before making remarks about deals for older people to save money.
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