Parking is an issue close to everyone's heart, especially as Tauranga's roads and parking lots get ever more full. But for our sick and elderly people visiting Tauranga Hospital, this becomes more than an inconvenience. Bay of Plenty Times health reporter Jean Bell looks into the issue of car park
Freeloaders 'abusing' Tauranga Hospital car parks causing patient distress
"The current situation is creating distress for patients and visitors alike," Hodson said.
"It's very unfair to be making it difficult to park easily at what is already a challenging and distressing time."
Hodson said there was evidence that some people were using the free hospital car parks as a cheap parking option when working in the CBD, while some staff were also using them to park closer to their place of work instead of using the dedicated car park provided to employees.
It was difficult to give specific details about how often the unauthorised parking occurred and for how long since it was freely accessible, he said.
Hodson said the hospital urged people to stop using the spaces as a cheap means of parking.
He said the hospital was looking at installing barrier arms to possibly impose time restrictions on free parking and a small charge for longer periods.
This would encourage staff to use the dedicated staff park too, he said.
A Clarke St resident, who did not want to be named, said he had lived in the area for 42 years and the parking availability had declined considerably in that time.
He said cars would often be parked all day in a 60-minute car park right outside of the Cancer Centre where patients frequently came and went.
"It's unfair. These people are sick so you want to make it easy as possible for them."
The Kollective general manager Gordy Lockhart said tight car park availability was an issue throughout Tauranga, not just in the area.
He said there might be a perception that parking was easier to find on 17th Ave than other areas but this was no longer the case.
He said The Kollective owned an e-scooter, an e-bike and an e-car available for members to use in hopes of encouraging members to take alternative transport.
He said there would always be people who needed cars, such as families or people transporting goods, but individuals needed to change their behaviour to decrease the amount of single-occupancy vehicle uses.
"Building more parks will just push the problem down the road."
Tauranga City Council was contacted but could not provide a comment before deadline.