Angry drivers fight fines

Grafton Bridge is usually off-limits to cars. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Motorists have vented their fury at the lack of signage on Grafton Bridge which has seen more than $2.5 million in fines meted out by Auckland City Council.

Drivers say lingering confusion about when they are allowed to travel on the bridge has resulted in $250,000 in fines being handed out each month.

Council transport chief Ken Baguley admitted the number of fines was "unacceptable" but said warning signs around the bridge which links Newmarket to the city centre had improved.

More than 17,700 tickets at $150 each have been issued since the new measures were brought in last December.

The bridge is open only to buses between 7am and 7pm on weekdays.

Aucklander Amy Bennett was shocked after being fined for driving over the bridge and has set up one of several Facebook protest sites.

She and hundreds of other motorists have successfully fought their fines and been let off with a warning.

But Bennett thinks the new signs were not good enough.

"It's too confusing, especially for people out of Auckland. They need to be clear."

Bennett said the $150 fine was too steep just for driving over a bridge.

"It's disgusting, it should just be a warning."

Lawyer Shaurya Malaviya, who is lobbying the council to drop the fines, advised drivers who dispute the claim to insist on taking the matter to a court hearing.

"As soon as you request a hearing by submission, and send your submission through, they waive the fine," Malaviya said.

Baguley, the council's transport committee chairman, said the tickets were "by no means an income producing exercise". He said around 20 to 30 per cent of tickets had been waived, and many people have not bothered paying at all.

"It's around the hundreds of thousands dollar mark, which probably went to the additional signage," said Baguley.

Baguley said better signage had been brought in during the last 10 days.

He said: "The road is signed according to NZTA regulations, and any signs can be confusing. We have no intent on changing the fine at all.

"The council will look sympathetically on people contesting tickets - especially if they need to cross the bridge urgently to get to the hospital."