Find out how a large ute parking failure at a Coles car park exposes a massive issue
- Replies 33
The sight of a colossal US-style Ford ute sprawled across two parking bays at a Coles car park in southeast Melbourne has not only turned heads but also ignited a fiery debate about the suitability of Australia's infrastructure for such enormous vehicles.
As the number of large utes on Australian roads continues to rise, their size is proving to be a significant issue when it comes to parking spaces.
A shopper, amused by the sight, snapped a picture of the imposing ute and shared it online, quipping that the vehicle was so large it should come with its own air traffic control team.
'Should have his own traffic control team riding around in him with the size of that rig,' he wrote.
However, others were quick to point out that the driver had no other choice but to claim two parking spaces as the ute wouldn't fit into one.
'Look, it's not their fault that the parks aren't big enough,' one replied.
'If he tried to park within the lines, he’d be wasting his time, [it's] logical to park this way to leave room. Take out 2 parks instead of 3,' another added.
According to Budget Direct, in 2021, more than 50 per cent of cars sold in Australia were SUVs, and their popularity shows no signs of waning. And in 2023, the best-selling car model was the large Ford Ranger ute.
While some praised the driver’s rig, others questioned the necessity of such large vehicles on Aussie roads.
'Why do you need something this big?' one questioned, while another suggested adopting the mantra 'can’t park it, don’t drive it'.
Standards Australia has proposed increasing the length of a standard car park space to accommodate the increase in large car purchases.
However, experts warned that significant infrastructural changes would be required in size-restricted cities to accommodate these large utes.
'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,' Monash University Lecturer Julian O'Shea said.
Some countries have suggested implementing higher parking fees for these large utes and restricting areas where they can be driven when space is at 'a premium'.
What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you encountered any problems with large utes in your local area? Share your experiences in the comments below.
As the number of large utes on Australian roads continues to rise, their size is proving to be a significant issue when it comes to parking spaces.
A shopper, amused by the sight, snapped a picture of the imposing ute and shared it online, quipping that the vehicle was so large it should come with its own air traffic control team.
'Should have his own traffic control team riding around in him with the size of that rig,' he wrote.
A large ute has taken over two parking spaces at a Coles car park. Image source: Facebook.
However, others were quick to point out that the driver had no other choice but to claim two parking spaces as the ute wouldn't fit into one.
'Look, it's not their fault that the parks aren't big enough,' one replied.
'If he tried to park within the lines, he’d be wasting his time, [it's] logical to park this way to leave room. Take out 2 parks instead of 3,' another added.
According to Budget Direct, in 2021, more than 50 per cent of cars sold in Australia were SUVs, and their popularity shows no signs of waning. And in 2023, the best-selling car model was the large Ford Ranger ute.
While some praised the driver’s rig, others questioned the necessity of such large vehicles on Aussie roads.
'Why do you need something this big?' one questioned, while another suggested adopting the mantra 'can’t park it, don’t drive it'.
Standards Australia has proposed increasing the length of a standard car park space to accommodate the increase in large car purchases.
However, experts warned that significant infrastructural changes would be required in size-restricted cities to accommodate these large utes.
'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,' Monash University Lecturer Julian O'Shea said.
Some countries have suggested implementing higher parking fees for these large utes and restricting areas where they can be driven when space is at 'a premium'.
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