A $70 fine for parking in a man’s “own driveway” has sparked a debate on what is and is not a driveway in Auckland.

Mount Albert man Paul Cheater thought he had parked legally as he made a quick trip home for lunch - but when he went to leave, he noticed he’d been ticketed for “parking on a footpath or a cycle path”.

Auckland Transport says Paul Cheater's car was “clearly” parked on a footpath. Photo / Supplied

The breach was for four minutes.

Auckland Transport stands by the breach notice and says there is a “common misunderstanding” about what is and isn’t a driveway in the super city.

After the Herald published Cheater’s story yesterday, AT provided a diagram to clearly illustrate what is a driveway on private property, and what is a “vehicle crossing” on a footpath.

The diagram shows that a driveway starts from the boundary of a private property - up until that point it is a vehicle crossing.

Auckland Transport says there’s a common misunderstanding about what is and isn’t a driveway in the super city. Photo / Auckland Transport

“Auckland Transport does not issue any parking infringements for vehicles parked on private property, whether they are on a person’s driveway or elsewhere on their property”, a spokesperson said.

“What Auckland Transport does issue infringements for is people parking across footpaths and the ‘vehicle crossings’ that extend from the road to the property boundary.”

The spokesperson said the Government’s rules are clear that it is illegal to park in any way that blocks entry to or from a driveway.

“This rule means that it is not legal for a person to park on a vehicle crossing. There are a range of reasons these rules are in place, including to prevent cars blocking drivers’ visibility as they turn into a driveway or on to the road. They also help ensure that emergency service vehicles have access close to properties when needed.”

An AT spokesperson said the photo of Cheater’s car “clearly shows” the car parked on a footpath.

“People using wheelchairs or strollers often need the full path, and stepping on to the road to get around a car is unsafe,” the AT spokesperson said.

“Even two wheels up is too much.”

“Without enforcement, some drivers might park or drive wherever they like, with no consideration for others,” AT said.

The money collected from fines goes to the Auckland Council to help pay for services such as libraries, the zoo, and road and public transport improvements.