Crackdown on illegal truck parking

The owners of dozens of trucks have been fined in a crackdown on illegal parking in Canterbury-Bankstown.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the operation was launched following a number of complaints received from residents.

“Our officers conducted a 48-hour blitz over a recent weekend, targeting a number of suburbs identified by residents, namely Earlwood, Campsie, Croydon Park, Lakemba, Punchbowl and Roselands,” he said.

“The main issues were trucks illegally parked on nature strips and footpaths, and in no parking areas, causing safety issues for motorists and pedestrians.”

A total of 40 truck owners were fined, with the most occurring in Punchbowl and Campsie. Fines were also issued to the owners of 10 cars found parked illegally on the footpath.

“It’s disappointing to see so many infringement notices needed to be issued over just two days but, hopefully, as this operation continues, we will see an improvement,” Mayor Asfour said.

“If you drive a heavy vehicle, you have a responsibility to park it safely and consider the impact on others.”

Mayor Asfour warned the blitz will continue and urged residents to keep providing information.

“Our officers can’t be everywhere all the time, so it’s important residents tip us off when someone is doing the wrong thing, including trucks being parked illegally and causing safety issues,” he said.

“Our next crackdown will not be promoted, so truck owners are on notice. It could be anywhere, any time, and is likely to involve local Police.”

The fine for parking a heavy vehicle for more than one hour is $114, while the fine for parking on a path or nature strip in a built up area is $268.