CCTV cameras on Glenelg’s Jetty Rd are being used to issue parking fines

A band of local drivers say CCTV footage is resulting in drivers getting slapped with fines for unavoidable or innocuous road acts, punishing drivers not in the act of parking.

Uber driver Greg Short said he got stung twice with $113 fines after he had performed a pick up and drop off. Picture: Ben Clark

CCTV cameras on Glenelg’s Jetty Rd are being used to issue parking infringement penalties, drawing the ire of drivers who have labelled the fines unfair.

A band of local drivers say the footage is resulting in drivers getting slapped with fines for unavoidable or innocuous road acts with the fixed cameras punishing drivers not in the act of parking.

Adelaide Rideshare Group representative Neil de Souza told The Advertiser drivers were being fined for stopping for mere seconds and it wasn’t just Uber drivers in the camera’s crosshairs.

Uber driver, Greg Short said he got stung twice with $113 fines after he had performed a pick up and drop off. Picture: Ben Clark

“One particularly troubling incident involved a person being fined $113 after moving out of the way for an emergency vehicle, and upon appeal, no action was taken resulting in the fine having to be paid,” he said.

“Essentially, if someone exits your car on Jetty Rd without being in an appropriate car park, you are almost certain to receive a fine in the mail within a few months.”

He said he was unaware of anywhere else in SA - or even Australia - where cameras were targeting drop off and pick ups and the constant fines prompted the group to meet with the council to push for solutions.

Footage of the alleged fine for $113 for stopping on a yellow line when moving out of the way of an emergency service vehicle on Jetty Rd. Picture: Supplied

Adelaide rideshare driver Greg Short said he got stung twice with $113 fines after he had performed a pick up and drop off that he said took only a matter of seconds.

He said using CCTV cameras to issue fines was unfair.

“Cameras catch the act, but they don’t paint the picture … there is no context with the images,” he said.

Another driver, John Hall said he was issued a fine after cameras captured him performing a drop-off.

“I had three girls meeting some friends at the pub, they spotted their friends and were about to jump out in the middle of the intersection ... I said ‘hang on, I’ll swing over to the left’ which was when a camera got me,” he said.

Mr Hall said an initial appeal was unsuccessful and a second appeal received no response.

The City of Holdfast Bay confirmed cameras operated on Jetty Rd and were used to monitor parking infringements.

The City of Holdfast Bay have confirmed cameras are in operation and used to monitor parking infringements. Picture: Ben Clark

The message from the council was clear; “no driver should stop on a yellow line”.

While the council said the majority of its parking monitoring was done by community safety officers, the cameras boosted its monitoring capacity in areas “deemed to be a significant safety risk”.

The City of Holdfast Bay spokesperson said it had been working with rideshare drivers to address their issues and was “looking at creating more spaces for all types of drop offs” but said appropriate drop-off areas were available.

“There are a number of locations where drivers can drop off customers safely, for example at the nearby Elizabeth St car park.”

However, the drivers disagree and say the limited parking is often unavailable forcing customers to walk “hundreds of metres” at times.

Mr de Souza said with aggressive patrolling of the strip and without suitable drop off zones, they had begun to actively avoid jobs in the area.