Overview
In late March, the City of Melbourne temporarily stopped issuing parking fines for minor infringements to assist essential workers during the initial stages of COVID-19 restrictions. From May 11, though, you'll need to make sure you're topping up the meter, with the Council resuming the enforcement of all restrictions once again.
The Council said the decision to restart issuing all parking fines came after reviewing "on-road parking conditions across the City of Melbourne" and considering feedback from local residents and businesses.
"At the start of lockdown, Melbourne's streets were empty and it was appropriate to have temporary unrestricted parking in areas with green signs to support workers who were still required at their workplace," Lord Mayor Sally Capp said in a statement. "Vehicles are now returning to the city and traders and residents have called for greater turnover of car parks outside their homes and businesses to welcome customers and visitors."
During the six weeks of eased parking restrictions, the Council's officers weren't slapping people with fines for disobeying rules in green-signed areas, but were still fining people for disobeying red signs; parking unsafely; blocking driveways, clearways or lanes; parking in a resident permit zone; parking too close to an intersection; or parking in a disability bay without the proper permit.
So, what does this all mean for you? From Monday, May 11, you'll need to keep an eye on all the parking signs — including the green ones — and make sure you pay for a ticket. Hopefully, just like you were doing in a pre-COVID-19 world.
If you're worried about using the parking meters, the Council said all high-touch areas, including parking meters and traffic light buttons, are being sanitised on a regular basis, and it recommends you sanitise your hands before and after use. You can also avoid touching the meters altogether by downloading the PayStay app (for iOS or android), which lets you pay directly from your phone.
Frontline health and emergency workers, including staff from Victoria Police and at eight Melbourne hospitals, can apply for free temporary parking permits.
Victoria's stay-at-home rules are still in place, though, so ensure you're only leaving home for one of the essential reasons, or you could be slapped with a fine.
For more information about parking in the City of Melbourne and its response to COVID-19, head to the Council website.