Park as you please policy in Hod Hasharon

The city recently announced that inspectors have "begun to act at a higher level" against the illegally-parked cars.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Hod Hasharon drivers are continuing to park anywhere they please despite the city's announcement of a crackdown on illegally parked cars, reports www.local.co.il. But while the illegally-parked vehicles are often a nuisance to pedestrians and other drivers, many residents are saying that they should not be blamed because the city is suffering from a severe shortage of parking spaces. According to the report, the city recently announced that inspectors have "begun to act at a higher level" against the illegally-parked cars. Despite this announcement, many cars are continuing to double-park, to park on sidewalks and in no-parking zones, and even to park on traffic islands in the middle of the road. And most such vehicles have been issued with warnings only and not with fines. But many residents are complaining that the city has a serious shortage of parking spaces and the municipality should act first to fix the problem before issuing fines to those who park illegally for want of an alternative. "It is not fair that people should get fines when there is no appropriate solution for them," one resident said. "Even now, I needed to pop in to the bank and could not find a parking space anywhere, so I parked in a red-and-white (no parking) area for two minutes." A municipal spokesman said the city has been giving residents "an adjustment period" in which warnings only are being issued, and that in the next couple of weeks those parking illegally would begin to receive fines.