Bathurst Regional Council’s traffic committee has backed calls to introduce line marking on city streets to help motorists correctly park at a 45-degree angle.

However, traffic committee chairman Councillor Warren Aubin said there was no plan at this stage to fine drivers who failed to make the grade. 

A recommendation to introduce the line marking on a trial basis will go before tomorrow night’s monthly council meeting.

Deputy mayor Ian North raised the issue at a recent policy committee meeting after receiving a number of complaints about parking in the CBD.

Cr North said while it was not uncommon to see people reverse park straight back into the gutter, the majority of people tended to park at something closer to a 60-degree angle. 

He said he has asked council to explore various options, including line marking, as an education measure.

“It can be very frustrating to park next to someone who isn’t even close to getting it right,” Cr North said.

However, he accepts the idea does have its flaws. Cr North recognised that one person failing to park at 45 degrees would impact on all motorists who followed, so it would be hard to know who to book. 

“A 45-degree angle is quite extreme, and I think parking at an angle somewhere in between might be better,” he said.

Cr Aubin said he raised the issue himself six years ago because he wanted to bring some uniformity to parking in the CBD.

He said the committee had agreed it would like to see a trial of the 45-degree angle line marking in a location such as George Street.

“We get way too many people parking at all kinds of angles from 60 degrees to 120 degrees,” Cr Aubin said.

“You only have to look at how people park all over town. 

“I know parking at 45 degrees takes up more space, but it is also easier to drive in and out.”

Cr Aubin feels having lines marked on the roadway would get people in the habit of parking at the correct angle until parking at 45 degrees is second nature.

He conceded that there will be people who are fearful because they know they might not be able to reverse park within the lines.

“That’s why I would like to have a trial and see if it makes a difference in the way people park,” Cr Aubin said.

Cr Aubin said he initially suggested 60-degree angle parking because that is the angle most people park at anyway, but was informed by the powers be that legally our streets are not wide enough. 

He said parking at 45 degrees is safer and less likely to disrupt traffic because motorists won’t have to use as much of the road to swing in and out of their spot.

Cr Aubin said if council passes the recommendation it would be piloted in one street only – probably one that needs resealing, so if the idea isn’t a success it is easy to remove the lines.

“George Street would be good,” he said. “I think this is an excellent idea – but it might never happen.”