Auckland Transport staffer parks on footpath to collect takeaways, police called

An Auckland Transport employee has come up with a novel way of getting round the lack of kerbside parking in the CBD - mount the footpath and narrowly miss a pedestrian in the process.

As colleagues were putting the finishing touches on a parking strategy to drastically reduce kerbside parking on busy roads, the male employee nipped out at lunchtime for an Indian takeaway on March 17.

At the same time a pedestrian, who only wanted to be known by her first name Danielle, was heading to a liquor store on Beach Rd when the man's car mounted the pavement behind her with "zero care for any pedestrians".

The car an Auckland Transport staffer parked on the footpath to pick up an Indian takeway. Photo / File

"He was pretty close. I remember being a bit freaked out by it," Danielle said.

She went into the liquor store and spoke with the owner, Vash Vyas, who asked the man, wearing a shirt with the Auckland Transport logo, to apologise.

"I asked him why he was driving on the footpath and he said 'it was his wish to', so basically he could do what he wanted, and then he was abusive to Vash. He just didn't care," Danielle said.

Vyas said he confronted the man after he narrowly missed hitting Danielle, who was on the footpath shaking, but the man was shameless and showed no remorse.

Vintage Wines owner Vash Vyas who confronted an AT employee who drove his car onto the footpath on Beach Rd. Photo / Dean Purcell

Danielle said she complained to the police who then told her they had spoken to the man who was very apologetic and swore he wasn't rude or abusive.

"I also laid a complaint with Auckland Transport, but I haven't heard a single thing back from them," she said.

An AT spokeswoman said "as police are investigating this matter we are unable to comment".

Under a controversial parking strategy, AT is proposing to eliminate kerbside parking on main arterial and feeder roads across the city.

AT is working to the principle that kerbside parking is the "lowest priority" on strategic roads and will automatically be "repurposed to provide space for projects that increase the movement of people and goods, except under exceptional circumstances".

Auckland councillors voted 13-10 at a planning committee meeting to endorse the parking strategy for public consultation this month.

Police have been contacted for comment.