A DRIVER has been slammed with a £155 fine after parking on his own driveway – but his punishment is sparking debate.
Angus Kelleher from Sydney in Australia had parked his car in front of his garage last week but a simple mistake meant he broke the law.
2
2
The radio producer’s Mazda CX-3 was parked in a way that obstructed the pathway behind the vehicle.
Photos of the car show the rear wheels on the footpath outside his property.
Angus took to a local radio breakfast show where the host Ben Fordham quizzed him on why he didn’t just use his garage.
“It’s a real old garage, it doesn’t always work, there’s heaps of problems with it,” said Angus, defending his parking and claiming it caused no obstruction.
“There is a swath of pavement behind the pathway; there is no obstruction,” he said, “people can easily get around.
“I reckon a semi-trailer could get around it.”
In Sydney, road laws state that drivers are not permitted to stop on or across a driveway unless the driver is dropping off or picking up passengers, doesn’t leave the vehicle and is gone within two minutes of stopping.
But even though Angus was parked across his own driveway – there are no exemptions to these rules, unless it is a police or emergency services vehicle.
The fine is a set £155 on a standard public footpath, but can rise to £196 if the offence takes place in a school zone.
This comes after a report that revealed a shocking number of drivers don’t follow a rule change that came in last year – and they could be slapped with a hefty £1,000 fine.
The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include a new “hierarchy of road users“, which gives priority to pedestrians and cyclists over motorists.
One driver was also left fuming after she was fined £70 for staying just seconds later in an Asda car park.
She claims it wasn’t her fault though as her battery was flat when she returned to her car after her shop.
And a motors expert has revealed the little-known setting on your car that could help you avoid getting a hefty fine.
