Wagga residents fury over mobile speed camera car parking prompts council fine

Drivers expressed outrage about a vehicle they said presented a danger to pedestrians, by blocking access on Lake Albert Road on Tuesday May 30.

Wagga City Council sent rangers to the scene after receiving four complaints. A council spokesperson said Transport for NSW were informed of the infringement.

"The operator was advised they could not park the vehicle in the location as it was obstructing a footpath," they said.

"The operator refused to move the vehicle after being requested to move off the footpath. The vehicle was therefore issued with a fine."

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One complainant was Mark Murray, said the operator was making the road more dangerous, not safer.

"I was coming back from downtown and saw it. I did a U-Turn, took a photo, and called the council rangers," he said.

"I don't mind speed cameras, but that was just not safe. Anyone walking along that footpath would have had to go up the verge, or onto the road.

"Because it was a work vehicle, you would think they'd have to have appropriate signage ... like 'pedestrians use other footpath'."

Mr Murray said he'd seen the same vehicle parked in a "dodgy" way on the verge earlier in the week.

Wagga councillor Dan Hayes has made pedestrian access and safety a cornerstone of his political career. He said only ambulance drivers should be parking on the footpath.

"I don't care who you are, you can't park on the footpath - it doesn't matter whether you're a local or a speed camera operator," he said.

A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said they would work with the camera operator to make sure this didn't happen again.

"Transport for NSW is aware that a mobile speed camera vehicle was parked across a footpath at Lake Albert Road, Kooringal in contravention of policies and procedures. The vendor was fined," they said.

"There is a parking exemption in the NSW Road Rules that allows mobile speed cameras to operate from the verge or nature strip.

"But this does not apply when access is obstructed to footpaths, bicycle paths, driveways or similar access ways."

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