Cars parked too close to the rail siding at Dive Crescent are blocking trains, and causing growing frustration among train drivers.
KiwiRail engine drivers have to stop the train, get out and ask around to find an offending vehicle's owner, and ask them to move it before they can get by.
KiwiRail spokesperson Ruth Larsen says the vacant lot owned by the council on Dive Crescent adjacent to Jet Ski hire business Makzgear is a problem area.
She says all three tracks are used every day, and asks the public to exercise a bit of commonsense when parking their cars there.
"People need to understand that wagons and their loads are wider than the tracks - containers can be in excess of 2.4 metres," says Ruth.
"Rail safety is a big issue for us and the speed trains go they can inflict quite a lot of damage on vehicles."
KiwiRail and Tauranga City Council have had ongoing discussions about the problem.
During Easter, KiwiRail erected a section of fencing to minimise these problems on Dive Crescent, but from time to time there are still issues, says Ruth.
"We've fenced off the worst of it, but we have left space for us to still do some operations around that area."
Tauranga City Council spokesman Brian Doherty understands the railway line and parking is an issue and is keen to cooperate to find a resolution.
"We would be more than happy to work with KiwiRail to make sure things are appropriate for safety and operational purposes," says Brian.



4 comments
Downtown Parking
Posted on 09-06-2010 11:56 | By ACTIVIST
Yes where is the new parking building we were promised for the downtown Tauranga location 2 or 3 years ago all got to hard did it ?
DIVE CRESCENT RAIL TRACKS PERIL
Posted on 06-06-2010 10:06 | By PIED PIPER
Yes commonsense would work so would fences and barriers or no parking signs The idiots that park there KiwiRail and the drones at TCC should be able to work it out for themselves surely. Its not rocket science Another option may be for Council to get its A into G and provide proper parking.nearby. Whats happened to the planned new Parking Building next to Harrington House anyway I am sure we would all like to hear the expose` on this and why it was shelved??????
DUPED
Posted on 10-06-2010 09:07 | By The Master
Got a art gallery instead !!! No use if no where to park right !!
LOST TEH RAIL AND WAGON
Posted on 09-06-2010 07:11 | By The Master
It is obvious that when you take away parking from a growing CBD that was available to the public at large such as a long The Stand, then at some future date GET AROUND to thinking about a car parking building then the consequence is inevitable! The issue noted above is a direct result of the above. It is pointless have more discussions between TOWN Hall and Kiwirail, TOWN Hall stuffed it up by eliminating car parks in the CBD, so fix mess made is all that is required. Not so long ago TOWN Hall was bragging about how much in parking fines it had collected, that also is also of the same competence and ilk. Why is it that the CBD has to pay for parking and other shopping areas don t?
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