The Rural City of Murray Bridge asks that all our residents and visitors adhere to our parking regulations in an effort to keep our streets safe. We are genuinely concerned for your safety. By parking appropriately and observing signs, you can help ensure there is no danger to pedestrians and avoid traffic congestion. Parking signs can apply to either an area, length of road or a car park. It is important that you look for signs when entering any street or car park. Information relating to the days and times when restrictions apply can vary from location to location. Each sign will tell you when it applied. If no days and times are shown, the restriction applies 24 hours of every day of the year. The following explains parking regulations in the Rural City of Murray Bridge and why Council is obliged to enforce penalties for parking offences.
Schools and other 'No Stopping' areas
At most schools you will find a ‘No Stopping’ area or an area designating restrictions during school hours. Drivers parking in restricted areas can cause blind spots for other motorists and create a hazard for children. It is also an offence to set down or pick up a person in these areas or stop a vehicle on the road edge in an area marked with a continuous yellow-edge line. It is illegal to stop, even for a few seconds, and our School Crossings regulations are enforced regularly and strictly by Council’s Enforcement Officers.
Drivers should also avoid obstructing entrances, driveways or crossing places as it impedes movement of vehicles and may result in a fine.
Long vehicles
It is an offence to leave semi-trailers and trucks parked on any roadway in the Rural City of Murray Bridge for longer than one hour, if they exceed 7.5metres in length or 4.5tonnes in weight. This regulation applies to all streets and roads within the city, including industrial areas.
Fire plugs
The obstruction of fire hydrants and fire plugs is an offence. It is illegal to park in front of a fire plug or hydrant, including those in front of private residences.
Disabled parking
In most car parks and some streets, parking areas are reserved for holders of disabled permits. If you hold a disabled permit, it must be displayed on the vehicle. These can be obtained from the Motor Registration Division of the Department of Transport. These permits are acceptable throughout South Australia.
Special service parking and bus zones
Special service-vehicle zones include parking for buses, taxis, and some commercial vehicles and for loading purposes. A sedan or station wagon used for commercial purposes does not constitute a commercial vehicle.
Intersections
Because of the danger of obstructing drivers' views, it is an offence to park a vehicle within ten metres of an intersection or junction of streets or roads. The ten metres are measured from the edge of the gutter.
Reserves and footpaths
Driving or parking on a reserve, dividing strip, footpath, nature strip or verge, or entering back into the flow of traffic, could cause a serious accident. Driving, riding or parking on a reserve may also cause damage to the reserve or the underground watering systems.
Application to park on Council reserves
Time limits
Time limits apply to some Council-owned car parks and streets. They have been set to keep car parks available for shoppers and should not be used for all-day parking.
Impounded vehicles
Drivers should also be aware that it is an offence to leave a vehicle on a roadway for longer than 24 hours. This applies to all streets and roads, including outside residents' homes. Should a vehicle be left on a roadway longer than 24 hours, Council may impound the vehicle without giving notice. There is a cost for the recovery of an impounded vehicle, including towing and impounding fees.
Parallel and double parking
A vehicle is deemed not parallel parked if it is not aligned as closely as possible with the line of the kerb. Furthermore, it is an offence to park a vehicle so that it is facing opposite the legal driving direction on the side of the road that it is parked. Parking between a parked vehicle and the centre of the road to pick up or drop off is an offence.