Brinek: City of Vienna promises to avoid parking pitfalls in the future

City of Vienna promises to avoid parking pitfalls in the future

ORF- Series "Bürgeranwalt" („Advocate for People”) – Broadcast on November 21 st, 2009

In its broadcast on 21 November 2009 the Ombudsman Board brought up a case in connection with local parking lanes. In Austria the exact areas in which parking is legal are traditionally often indicated by specific paving stones. A driver parked his car according to the paving stones on the ground and assumed that he therefore also did not violate regulations according to which parking within five meters from a crossing was forbidden. However, the driver was faced with a parking ticket on his return. When exactly measured it turned out that the paving stones reached about 45 centimetres in the five meters limit for crossings. For Ombudswoman Brinek this is a deception which needs to be avoided when setting up parking lanes. The competent municipal department argued that the paving stones were a creative measure not intended for officially marking parking lanes. Brinek clearly does not share this point of view: "In exactly this case I would also have assumed that I had parked my car properly and according to all regulations. I call upon the competent authorities to eliminate all such parking pitfalls in the future." City officials agreed to take this problem in the future into consideration when paving stones within street crossing areas would be renewed.

Follow-up: Wind attacks in Vienna: wind protection measures finally being installed

The ORF reported already twice on the case of dangerous winds in parts of the Vienna city close to the river Danube . As a consequence of the Ombudsman Board’s involvement in this matter wind protection measures are currently being installed. Ombudswoman Gertrude Brinek therefore welcomed that the city of Vienna authorised the installation of specific troughs in connection with extensive glass walls. Brinek: "During an on-site inspection the Ombudsman Board could verify that these wind protection measures are about to be implemented. We will certainly follow-up in the future on the question whether these measures turn out to be sufficiently effective. This is very important as the case of the woman indicates who still has not fully recovered after injuries caused by a wind attack. "