Wellington Council's 'spy' tactics upset cab drivers

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Thu, 15 Sep 2011 7:00p.m.

The real battlefront with Wellington's spycar is between the Toyota Yarris and the city's taxi drivers

The real battlefront with Wellington's spycar is between the Toyota Yarris and the city's taxi drivers

The council calls it the dash cam car, everyone else calls it the spy car. You'd think it would be easy to find in a little city but it took some hunting.

Then suddenly, it appeared in front of our Campbell Live car. A cheery wave from one of the camera operators who've slapped fines on thousands of motorists.

John Devery admits parking on a broken line is breaking the law, but he says the council is totally unreasonable and over the top. 

But the real battlefront with Wellington's spycar is between the Toyota Yarris and the city's taxi drivers who say since its arrival, they can't make a living. Ionae Lemalu has 10 tickets right now but has paid $600 in fines. 

Nimrod Bethyo was fined for stopping behind another vehicle and driving over yellow lines to get to a park.

Watch the video.

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Comments

16 Sep 2011 11:48a.m.

Sarom Prak wrote:

I don't want to talk much about spycar because taxi drivers have a right to pick up and drop passengers off everywhere.So only a spycar is breaking a law under Land Transport Act .One day,i want all wardens and city councils to be a taxi driver.They will exactly know what happend to them.

16 Sep 2011 08:56a.m.

Sharon wrote:

Recently received a fine from the WCC. I have an Auckland based bin hire company which does not operate out of Auckland. Ticket stated one of our trucks illegally parked in Wellington. Requested a photo of the vehicle which has arrived and vehicle is not ours which I already new but in the photo you cannot even read the whole number plate but only the first 4 characters and they have guessed the rest. I suggest people ask for the photos and not just pay the infringements. I have written in and phoned but still awaiting a reply.

16 Sep 2011 07:41a.m.

Ruz wrote:

The WCC parking enforcement policy is driven mostly by the desire to generate revenue. Motorists are seen as a cash cow,

15 Sep 2011 11:23p.m.

Belle wrote:

Join the facebook group #get rid of the wellington spymobile. If we come together and show that there is real concern for this type of behavior then we could see the back end of it once and for all!

15 Sep 2011 08:17p.m.

Jose Tirados wrote:

I was ticketed 3 times by the spy cam either dropping or picking up pasengers. All 3 have been waived because we were able to prove we had a legitimate job pick-up/drop off. We're trying to make a decent living but this is just plain harassment and bullying. A waste of time to prove your self right. If you cannot defend yourself, good bye $60.00. They should ban that Spy car in the streets of wellington. Its not use for its purpose but money gathering.