More rail parking call

By Melissa Grant
AN angry commuter has renewed calls for improved parking at Pakenham Railway Station after he was fined for illegally parking there last week.
Andrew Powell was among the 10 commuters who were slapped with a $113 parking fine from the Cardinia Shire Council last Thursday.
The 19-year-old TAFE student says getting a park at the station had become a daily struggle and he would fight the infringement.
“I usually park a kilometre away from the station and there are always cars there,” Mr Powell said.
The car park at the front of the station is full each weekday and cars overflow onto Station Street and down towards Racecourse Road.
A new parking bay opened on the south side of the railway station in February, but that has done very little to relieve commuters’ car parking woes.
Mr Powell said he knew he had parked illegally, but wondered why the area in question was considered a no stopping zone.
“There’s no chance of a bus hitting you – the bus stop is 30 metres away,” he said.
Mr Powell implored the council to do something to improve the parking situation at the station.
“If the (Pakenham) racecourse does go, then at least dedicate some of that to parking.”
Cardinia Shire Council’s local laws manager Alan Giachin said Pakenham Railway Station was patrolled daily and that fines were mainly issued for illegal parking in no stopping and no taxi zones.
“Safety of motorists and pedestrians are the reasons behind the parking restrictions in this area, there is ample parking at any time around the railway station,” he said.
Mr Giachin said parking fines were regularly issued in that area but the 10 written last Thursday was more than usual.
Police also have power to issue fines to motorists who park illegally.
Acting Sergeant Peter Bast said police usually issued infringements each time they inspected the parking situation at the station.
“It’s one of the major spots where we get people,” he said.