Parking fines issued at a rate of one a minute across Adelaide

PARKING inspectors are issuing fines at a rate of one a minute across Adelaide. Check out our map to see if your parking spot is in a ticketing hotspot.

PARKING inspectors are issuing fines at a rate of one a minute across Adelaide, despite roadworks and more lenient policing contributing to a fall in offences.

Metropolitan councils fined about 280,600 drivers for parking infringements in 2017, down 6 per cent on about 300,000 fines in 2016.

Councils collected $18.6 million in parking fine revenue last year, although that amount would be higher because Tea Tree Gully and Campbelltown did not respond to a city-wide survey by Messenger Community News.

Last year’s tally equates to a fine every minute during daylight hours, when most parking regulations are in place.

Adelaide City Council issued 173,300 parking fines last year — an annual drop of 14 per cent.

A council spokeswoman put the fall down to many factors, including the O-Bahn and tram extensions temporarily reducing on-street parking spaces, inspectors warning people instead of fining them, and improved driver behaviour.

Charles Sturt Council recorded the largest jump in fines, up 55 per cent to 19,500.

Councillor Robert Randall said fines would have fallen if Charles Sturt had not backflipped on its controversial decision to install parking meters around Henley Square.

The council removed the meters in September following a month-long campaign by disgruntled residents.

Charles Sturt Council removed parking meters from Henley Square in September.

“The whole debate of parking meters has raised an awareness in the community,” Cr Randall said.

“I always maintain parking meters would generate less revenue for the council, and people, whilst unhappy with parking meters, wouldn’t be receiving significant fines.”

Parking fines are set by the State Government and range from $50 to $363, depending on the offence.

The number of fines in districts further away from the city, including Onkaparinga, Salisbury and Playford, fell between 20 and 30 per cent last year.

Playford Mayor Glenn Docherty said it was encouraging to see more drivers pay attention to parking regulations, while consultation with residents had also brought about change.

“Following feedback from our local community we made the decision last year to remove pram parking permits at the Elizabeth City Centre,” he said.

RAA road safety manager Charles Mountain said it was pleasing that some drivers were being warned instead of fined.

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“Some locations where there are part-time restrictions on stopping or parking can catch people out, particularly when these are changed,” Mr Mountain said.

Planning Minister John Rau wrote to all 19 metropolitan councils last month calling on them to work with the government on a review of parking issues.

Mr Rau said a detailed investigation into parking woes was overdue and all options to improve the situation would be considered.