A central city essential worker in Christchurch is “disgusted” after receiving a 65-dollar fine from Wilson Parking during New Zealand’s Covid-19 alert level 3.

The telecommunications employee says she parked her car on the unsealed gravel car park on High Street on Tuesday afternoon.

Her shift started at 12.30pm and finished at 10pm.

 “Normally I would walk or bus to work, but due to not a lot of people around felt it was safer to drive.”

“I would be more than happy to pay for parking, but thought that being in level 3, parking wardens wouldn’t be essential, and the fact there is no signage, or warnings on their website or apps to advise possible fines, I thought I wouldn’t need to pay.”

She says called the company and was told parking wardens were working during level 3 and she must pay for fine.

“I felt like there was no compassion and very little empathy.”

A Wilson Parking spokeswoman says “as Level 4 restrictions lifted Monday, many New Zealand businesses resumed operations, including Wilson Parking car parks.”

She says the customer who received the fine wrongly assumed that she did not have to pay for parking under Level 3 restrictions.”

The spokeswoman says “to help our customers transition to regular operations, last week Wilson Parking issued only warning notices across our portfolio. The warning notices were supported by signage and flyers and advised customers that we would be resuming normal operations under Level 3.”

She says “this week, the company provided extra lenient grace periods before issuing infringement notices.”

The Government’s official Covid19 website has no guidelines for private companies on issuing fines during alert level 3.

However, the Christchurch City Council’s website says its Lichfield Street car park is open and free, “mainly for essential services staff working in the central city.”

The lifts and toilets in the building are closed.

It reads “in line with the Government directions and in order to provide certainty to essential workers at Christchurch Hospital, metered and time-restricted parking spaces around the hospital campus will not be enforced.”

Wilson Parking has more than 50 locations in Christchurch’s central city.