A MOTHER has spoken out against what she describes as unfair parking fines being issued to parents outside Sorrento Primary School, claiming they are nothing more than a “revenue raising” tactic by the Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Sari, who asked not to use her surname, said she and other parents had been targeted last year for parking in Kerferd Ave for just a few seconds or minutes while they collected their children from school. Sari said while there were about three to four “kiss and go” parking spaces, this was “not enough” for the growing school population with the nearby Ocean Beach Rd also being busy.
Sari said she and other parents were trying to do the right thing by getting their kids to school safely, but instead of support, they were being hit with fines.
“I just think it’s really unacceptable and constantly happening,” she told The News. “I’ve only been caught out once, but I know that a lot of people have been caught many, many times.” According to Sari, parking inspectors sat in parked cars as they used dash cameras to nab unsuspecting drivers parking in no-stopping zones. “They’re not walking down the street because they don’t want to be seen by people getting parking tickets and saying how unacceptable it is,” she said. “I’m sure they’re all on some sort of point system or they’ve got to get x-amount of fines a day and it’s just ludicrous. “I understand that people who are in the wrong and park in a two-hour spot for four hours or whatever; they absolutely deserve one (a parking fine).” But she reiterated that if someone was “just trying to collect their child from school safely” then there should be some form of leniency, or a practical parking solution provided. “Everyone you speak to is just like, ‘Oh, I cannot believe that they’re revenue collecting right in front of the school’.” Sari said she received a fine in November after collecting her 11-year-old child from school near a crossing for just a few seconds.
The shire confirmed there had been no recorded crashes on Kerferd Ave between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2024, according to data providing by the Transport Accident Commission. Sari raised the issue after submitting a question to the shire’s 17 December meeting, requesting that it “stop issuing parking tickets as a form of revenue collecting in Kerferd Ave”. “In current financial hardship times how are the council supporting local communities and families?”
In response, the shire issued a statement saying that parking congestion during school drop-off and pick-up times “is a common issue at schools across the peninsula, including Sorrento Primary School”. “However, this does not exempt drivers from adhering to road rules. Kerferd Rd has various parking controls on the school side, including accessibility spaces, two-minute zones, bus zones, and no stopping zones,” it said. “The western side of Kerferd Rd has no restrictions except near the school crossing. Parents are encouraged to park legally, even if it means walking a short distance from available parking spots, such as those on Ocean Beach Rd, located less than 250 meters from the school gate. “Council enforces parking restrictions around schools to ensure the safety of all road users, prioritising the protection of children.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 15 January 2025
