VIC When is a parking bay for more than one car?

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7 August 2018
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A petiton signed by 66% of our street recently requested our Council put in enclosed marked parking bays (instead of hockey stick line markings) in our street to assist drivers to not park across our driveways.The CEO refused the request stating it would reduce parking spaces in our street..They sited an example where a 3 car (15.1m hockey stick lined) space would be reduced to 2 spaces with the enclosed markings to comply with Australian Standards. When I used the AS to assess the space available, the area fell short by over 1.5m for 3 vehicles. (ie. the middle car could not maintain 1m between vehicles legally).

Victorian Road Rules 2017 require that :

RR208 (5) If the driver does not park in a parking bay, the driver must position the vehicle at least 1 metre from the closest point of any vehicle in front of it and any vehicle behind it.

In the definitions "parking bay" means an area for parking a single vehicle (other than a combination)....
"combination" means a group of vehicles consisting of a motor vehicle connected to one or more vehicles;

On that basis, I believe that the Council is potentially condoning and facilitating illegal parking.

Having requested clarification and having pointed out the above in February, they have undergone 2 investigations and still no outcome to change the status quo nor, a formal response.

So,my question is: Is a hockey stick line marked parking area considered a "parking bay" or not, as more than one vehicle can "fit" in the area without 1m between vehicles?
(Note: AS seem to allow for the 1m between vehicles by the length of the parking bay and using Australian standard size car sizes)

Ready to challenge again if there is legal merit in what I believe to be the correct interpretation of the VicRoad Rules.

 

WarrenTC

Member
8 August 2018
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AS is based on each bay providing for a minimum car size - either B99 (99% of cars are smaller than this) or B85 (85% of cars are smaller than this), plus maneuvering room. In reality, all cars are different sizes and the same 15m space could be legally used by combinations such as 2 Hiluxes, 3 Mirages, etc. So leaving individual bays unmarked allows that flexibility in vehicle sizes, whereas formally marking the bays would result in 2 cars permitted to park there regardless of how short the vehicles are.