A bus trying to turn into busy Wellington Street was prevented from doing so by an illegally parked white Tesla sports sedan (inset). Photo: Google Maps, Metro Daily
Police have come under fire for selectively enforcing regulations against illegal parking in favor of the wealthy.
Officers allegedly let the owner of a luxury sedan get away scot-free after her vehicle halted traffic in Central for nearly 30 minutes Monday afternoon, Metro Daily reported Thursday.
The white Tesla sports sedan was seen parked outside Yung Kee Restaurant at the junction of D’Aguilar Street and Wellington Street.
It blocked a double-decker bus from moving forward on Wellington Street, causing a long queue of honking cars on D’Aguilar all the way back to Queen’s Road Central.
Police reportedly phoned the car’s owner, Cheung Yung-yung, who is regarded as a stock investment expert, to ask her to move her car.
A Metro reader surnamed Law said he witnessed the entire incident.
Law said the driver of the car was not even issued a ticket, to the dismay of the many motorists who were affected by her disregard of parking regulations.
He said that by contrast, police did not hesitate to hand a truck driver a ticket on Saturday for pulling over at a spot nearby.
The driver was ordered to move his truck away immediately, Law said.
When contacted by a reporter, Cheung said she had no idea what had happened and why she was not issued a ticket.
She said she was in a meeting when the police called, and she asked a friend to move her car.
The Police Public Relations Bureau confirmed that police were called at around 3 p.m. on Monday.
It said the owner was contacted and given a verbal warning.
When asked whether it is a common practice for police to issue verbal reminders before handing out tickets for parking violations, Senior Superintendent Lam Chun-ming said police will investigate and deal with the matter seriously.
Retired police officers said they have never heard of using verbal reminders to deal with parking violations.
The said, however, that asking drivers to move their vehicles could be a strategic measure, as illegal parking is not a serious crime.
Legislative councilor Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, who represents the legal constituency, said it is unacceptable that law enforcement is being replaced by verbal reminders.
Fellow lawmaker Gary Fan Kwok-wai (New Territories East) said it is unfair if favorable treatment is given to car owners of higher social status.
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