4 December 2017

Hi-tech grey ghosts to haunt parking offenders

| Ian Bushnell
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Parking metre

Ghostbusters with a twist: Electronic chalking is the new technology that is dishing out the law.

Be warned parking offenders. The invisible hand of the law will catch you out with the roll-out of new licence plate recognition (LPR) technology, also known as ‘electronic chalking’.

After a successful trial earlier in the year, parking inspectors will now be armed with the technology to crack down particularly on on-road parking, rather than in outdoor car parking areas where foot patrols will still operate.

LPR is a vehicle-mounted camera system which allows parking officers to capture and record images of parked vehicles to determine if they have overstayed the maximum time limit, parked unlawfully, or are dangerously parked.

Minister for Regulatory Services Gordon Ramsay said similar technology had been used in other jurisdictions and found to be effective in detecting unsafe and illegal parking.

“Particular areas of focus will be roadside parking around our schools and around businesses in our town centres,” Mr Ramsay said.

“These areas often have a high volume of pedestrian traffic, and ensuring crossings and visibility ­– such as through double parking ­– are not obscured, is critical for safety.

“Preventing overstaying in parking areas near businesses is also central to supporting ‘churn’ or turnover in parking, so more customers can access these areas.”

He said that during the trial, Access Canberra parking inspectors in most cases issued warnings to Canberrans found to be parked illegally or overstaying their parking.

“This provided an opportunity to inform and educate the community in key areas where it will be used. Access Canberra will now commence the issuing of infringements from this week, with the technology playing an important role in supporting safe parking,” he said.

LPR cameras could inspect 30 kilometres of roadside parking per hour compared to 1-2 kilometres per hour by parking inspectors on foot.

“Drivers identified as parking illegally through LPR will be posted an infringement notice, while those detected by inspectors on foot will continue to receive an infringement notice in an envelope on their windscreen,” Mr Ramsay said.

What are your thoughts on electronic chalking? Let us know by commenting below.

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devils_advocate1:52 pm 06 Dec 17

gooterz said :

SO where the chalk shows when a car has moved. what’s to say that a car doesn’t move and repark after 1-2 hours.

Surely everyone will just use this excuse if they parked or not.

That situation is actually still covered by the way the parking regulations work. it essentially relates to ‘parking in an area’ so even if you repark in a different spot in the same area, it won’t necessarily re-set the clock on a time-limited parking space.

Does this mean they can finally crack down on people parking in nature strips?

SO where the chalk shows when a car has moved. what’s to say that a car doesn’t move and repark after 1-2 hours.

Surely everyone will just use this excuse if they parked or not.

devils_advocate said :

Between this and the parking timing sensors being trialled in Manuka the ACT Government is turning driving into a crime. Fits with their broader agenda of pushing people onto unaffordable public transport white elephants though.

Next prediction: lane closures on Northbourne avenue.

…..and no right turns.

devils_advocate said :

Between this and the parking timing sensors being trialled in Manuka

You mean those stick sensors placed on the curb next to parking spots?

Anyone know if they can be thwarted?

devils_advocate1:31 pm 04 Dec 17

Between this and the parking timing sensors being trialled in Manuka the ACT Government is turning driving into a crime. Fits with their broader agenda of pushing people onto unaffordable public transport white elephants though.

Next prediction: lane closures on Northbourne avenue.

On the surface this reads like a positive move, however, is it going to be like speed cameras when fully implemented? I suspect miscreants will soon learn the areas subject to the scrutiny and change their ways by parking illegally in areas not subject to an electronic flypast. A bit like tapping your brakes at two points on the Parkway really.

Blen_Carmichael10:06 am 04 Dec 17

They are *registration* or just plain *rego* plates. Not licence plates. At this rate we’ll soon be driving on the right hand side of the road.

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