Lae City Manager, Roy Kamen, says parking of highway trucks and other motor vehicles on pathways and other reserve zones in the city is illegal.
Highway truck drivers and motorists though are not following the city council’s laws and are using these spots as parking areas.
Kamen adds that the illegal parking is posing a risk to pedestrians walking on footpaths.
The Lae Urban Local Level Government has 19 laws and law number 18 prohibits the use of public roads and reserve areas for parking.
The law carries an offence fine of K500 if the offender is caught.
Kamen says they have already started charging drivers who are caught parking in restricted locations.
The council has issued around 20 notices to individuals and certain firms who were using these reserves illegally as parking areas loading and unloading bay.
The Lae Urban Local Level Government has not followed any strategy to implement its laws since it was established in 1998 and amended these in 2005.
Illegal parking in the city has now not only become a concern for local authorities. Pedestrians, motorists and the general public in the city are also raising concerns over the drivers neglect in parking their vehicles at designated locations.
Kamen is appealing to drivers to respect the law.
