Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 25, 2023 (ZIZ News) – The Traffic Department has observed that persons are not complying with parking laws and are clarifying what the law deems as ticketable offences.
During ZIZ radio’s programme “On the Road” on Wednesday, Sergeant Sophia Henry from the Traffic Department outlined what the law says about parking.
“This is what park means in the Vehicles and Road Traffic Act 15.06. Park means to remain stationary for any period of time, which is longer than reasonable, necessary for a passenger to alight from or get on a vehicle. So, as I said earlier, if no one is getting on or off you’re parked, whether the engine is running or not, and in the restricted areas are those areas where it says no parking or if there’s a yellow line.”
She said exceptions are made when a vehicle is parked in a no-parking zone to load or unload items however if a person is parked there for any other reason that’s an offence which will attract a fine.
“Parking means causing or permitting a vehicle while occupied or not to remain on a road while the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded. So, if you are unloading something or taking off something, we won’t consider it as being parked because you’re doing something. We don’t expect you to park a mile away and walk with this heavy thing. But some people think, if I have a letter to drop off by this institution, I can park there, no, because you can walk with a letter, so you park and you walk to your destination, not park because you have something light to drop off that is failing to comply with traffic sign.”
Sergeant Henry noted that in cases where there is a police officer directing traffic persons should comply with the direction of the officer.
She also spoke of an instance where a person used their blinkers to stop in a no-parking zone, Sergeant Henry said this is also an offence.
“The other day we went downtown and this lady park up with her flashes on, she’s not in the vehicle, she’s on a yellow line, we give her a ticket and she decide, she’s not parked because her flashes are on. That doesn’t mean anything. You’re not in the vehicle you’re on a yellow line. We must adhere to the signs that are placed by the license authority. If you park your parked whether your engine is running or not, you’re parked, because the vehicle is not moving, the vehicle is stationary.”
Sergeant Henry stated that the exception to this rule is when the vehicle is experiencing mechanical failure or in the case of an emergency.