MORE WACKY EXPENSIVE INTERVENTIONIST CRAP FROM LABOUR

We blogged on this issue a couple of weeks ago - more nanny state crap from Labour .

And today the story is in the Herald

The Transport Agency wants to ban people from parking on grass verges in built-up areas.

A proposed law change would make it illegal to park a vehicle on grass or garden areas bordering any urban road.

The Transport Agency said the ban would help keep paths clear for pedestrians and stop cars damaging grass and underground pipes.

The agency said motorists who parked on verges often thought they were keeping out of the way of traffic so as not to slow cars down.

But slower traffic was "not an undesirable outcome" for the safety of road users.

If the rule goes ahead, local councils will be able to make exceptions by putting up signs.

AA policy analyst Mark Stockdale said banning parking on verges would penalise people in small towns and parts of cities where a ban was not needed.

People would not be able to keep trailers out of the way of traffic and would not be able to park outside sports stadiums and homes of friends and relatives.

Parking on the verge was sometimes the safest thing to do.

"There are some towns where they might not even have footpaths. All they might have is a grass verge alongside the road."

Some city councils - including Auckland, Manukau, North Shore and Hamilton - already have bylaws banning parking on verges.

But the Transport Agency said councils were having trouble enforcing their bylaws because drivers could be ticketed only in places where warning signs were in place.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey said the proposed ban was a "wacky, stupid idea" and he "wouldn't lose one hour's sleep over people parking on verges".

interesting to see that old Labour stalwart Harvey thinks its a crap policy. Now what joe and mary voter wont realise is how much it will cost to institute a change like this.

It will have taken about four policy people - probably a lawyer and a communications troll and a project manager to work on this - probably for about six months and it will require consultation with a number of bodies - so my rough estimate is you wont get much change for $750k all up.Now that's a lot of Herceptin.