Aussies upset over truck parking issues: ‘We don't need them’
- Replies 0
Australia is witnessing a rise in parking blunders, and many believe the influx of US-style oversized trucks is exacerbating the situation.
As these large trucks gain popularity, a photo taken by one social media user from a Westfield car park in Melbourne highlighted the issue—showing one such truck either occupying four spaces or, as some observers noted, left in a traffic lane.
‘If you come to Fountain Gate right now, you’ll see this fine specimen parked in the middle of the road,’ the social media user revealed.
The image sparked a slew of comments reflecting the common sentiment about the vehicles.
‘We don't need these huge trucks in Australia. Utes have worked for ages,’ one said.
Push for more road upgrades
Monash University lecturer Julian O'Shea who studies sustainable transportation, is one of the critics of the surge in large American pick-up trucks.
He said in an August interview with Yahoo News Australia that major infrastructure changes would be necessary to accommodate these vehicles.
‘The question becomes, how do we use this space? If we want to make our car parks bigger, we get fewer of them, we lose space for bike lanes, we lose space for parks, we lose space for shops,’ he said.
‘Some ideas that different countries are using that we could look into are higher parking fees for these cars, which cause more damage to the road because they're so much heavier,’ he continued.
‘And just making more spaces available for other groups. So saying, “Look, if these cars exist, that's fine, but it's probably inappropriate for them to be around schools or to be inside our CBD where space is at a premium”.’
Next steps
A new proposal may lead to larger parking spaces in Australia to accommodate the increasing number of larger vehicles on the roads.
Standards Australia is asking the public for input on a draft proposal to extend the standard length of off-street parking lots as more drivers are choosing dual cab utes and American pick-up trucks, along with light commercial vehicles (LCVs).
If approved, off-street parking bays, including parking lots, would be extended to 5.6 meters to fit the dimensions of passenger cars and LCVs in Australia.
Members, have you encountered any issues with these utes on the roads or while parking? We'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on how to address this. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments below!
As these large trucks gain popularity, a photo taken by one social media user from a Westfield car park in Melbourne highlighted the issue—showing one such truck either occupying four spaces or, as some observers noted, left in a traffic lane.
‘If you come to Fountain Gate right now, you’ll see this fine specimen parked in the middle of the road,’ the social media user revealed.
The American-style truck has drawn criticism from Aussies. Image source: Reddit (@christianmoral)
The image sparked a slew of comments reflecting the common sentiment about the vehicles.
‘We don't need these huge trucks in Australia. Utes have worked for ages,’ one said.
Push for more road upgrades
Monash University lecturer Julian O'Shea who studies sustainable transportation, is one of the critics of the surge in large American pick-up trucks.
He said in an August interview with Yahoo News Australia that major infrastructure changes would be necessary to accommodate these vehicles.
‘The question becomes, how do we use this space? If we want to make our car parks bigger, we get fewer of them, we lose space for bike lanes, we lose space for parks, we lose space for shops,’ he said.
‘Some ideas that different countries are using that we could look into are higher parking fees for these cars, which cause more damage to the road because they're so much heavier,’ he continued.
A black Ram truck hogging space at Chadstone shopping centre car park in Melbourne. Image source: Reddit
‘And just making more spaces available for other groups. So saying, “Look, if these cars exist, that's fine, but it's probably inappropriate for them to be around schools or to be inside our CBD where space is at a premium”.’
Next steps
A new proposal may lead to larger parking spaces in Australia to accommodate the increasing number of larger vehicles on the roads.
Standards Australia is asking the public for input on a draft proposal to extend the standard length of off-street parking lots as more drivers are choosing dual cab utes and American pick-up trucks, along with light commercial vehicles (LCVs).
If approved, off-street parking bays, including parking lots, would be extended to 5.6 meters to fit the dimensions of passenger cars and LCVs in Australia.
