Matthew Rogers slapped with hefty fine from City of Holdfast Bay after stopping on yellow line

An angry Hove man has hit out at the seaside council after it deployed a controversial new method of issuing lightning-fast fines.

Generic image of Jetty Road, Glenelg. Picture by Kelly Barnes

A disgruntled father has criticised the City of Holdfast Bay council after he received a hefty fine for parking violation in Glenelg, captured by the council’s newly installed CCTV cameras.

Matthew Rogers of Hove, was left stunned after he received an expiation notice from the council, alerting him to a $116 fine for unknowingly stopping on a yellow line along Moseley St.

Mr Rogers claims that his vehicle, driven by his son, had stopped for no longer than 11 seconds on Moseley St, and exited from the car before they could have dinner at a nearby wine and bar restaurant.

“We picked up another couple and then we went down to the restaurant,” he told The Advertiser.

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“(My son) actually pulled up sort of opposite the restaurant on Jetty Rd, and then we decided that’s probably not a safe place for the four of us to get out of the car, so he ducked around the corner.

“I know it was 11 seconds because I looked at the time on the camera when we pulled over and certainly, there was no risk to any other vehicles, or pedestrians or pulling over there.”

Expiation notice given to Matthew Rogers of Hove for $116 fine, after his vehicle was captured by a CCTV camera having stopped on a yellow fine on Jetty Rd, Glenelg. Mr Rogers claims the vehicle has stopped for 11 seconds. Picture: Supplied

About a week after their outing on Saturday, July 27, Mr Rogers said he received the fine from the council.

“I was very annoyed when I got that. I had to sort of work out where it was and which parking inspector got me,” the 59-year-old recalled.

“There was no parking inspector. I’ve since been back there and there’s a camera on the light pole across the road.”

He believes the fine was “unfair” because there were no highly visible road signs to state that drivers cannot stop along that section of the road.

“If they don’t want people parking there because it’s a safety issue, then there should be a sign there saying strictly no parking,” he said. “There was no sign”.

“And at night, it’s pretty hard to see a yellow line.”

Mr Rogers said he had since paid the full amount of the fine, along with a handwritten note to the council but believes the council should not be using CCTV to enforce parking rules.

“It’s a very sneaky way of sending a fine infringement notice,” he said.

“I get that with speeding and mobile phones and things like that. I’m in favour of Parking inspectors.

“We’ve always had parking inspectors. I’m just not in favour of CCTV.”

It comes after Adelaide Rideshare Group representative Neil de Souza told The Advertiser last week that local and rideshare drivers were being fined for stopping for mere seconds on Jetty Rd.

Mr Souza said he was unaware of anywhere in the state where cameras were targeting drop off and pick ups, which prompted the group to meet with the council to push for a solution.

The council has been contacted for comment.