Explosion in sneaky ‘ticketless’ parking fines from Sydney councils whacking unsuspecting motorists

Councils could be forced to leave a sticker telling motorists they have been fined under proposals to end ticketless parking fines.

Greedy suburban councils raked in more than $155 million from ticketless parking fines last financial year after an explosion in rangers issuing fines without leaving a ticket, despite being ordered by the Minns government to stop the practice months ago.

Unsuspecting motorists are copping ticketless parking fines at record rates, with a 47 per cent increase in the number of “ticketless” parking fines issued by councils.

Under the practice, drivers only find out they have been stung weeks later, robbing them of the chance to collect evidence to challenge the penalty notice.

Almost 50 councils have been whacking oblivious motorists, with the surge in sneaky parking fines costing drivers more than $52 million last financial year.

Total parking fines issued by Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s City of Sydney Council increased by almost 10 per cent in 2023-24 compared to the year before, with City of Sydney rangers handing out almost $45 million worth of fines.

Rangers are increasingly issuing “ticketless” parking fines where drivers only find out they have been stung weeks later. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Liverpool City Council’s fines jumped almost 20 per cent, with more than $4 million worth of fines issued last financial year.

The state government is now preparing to outlaw the practice.

The Telegraph understands that councils could either be forced to leave a physical card on a car window when they have been fined, or change every single parking sign in their LGA to tell motorists they could cop a fine without knowing it.

The second option is understood to pose significant costs to councils, particularly in areas like Sydney.

The ticketless scheme was introduced as a trial in 2020, under former Premier Gladys Berejiklian. By March this year, 48 councils were using the system.

Finance Minister Courtney Houssos wants to move back to something like the old scheme. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Following outrage from drivers who were clueless to being stung until a fine arrived in the mail, Finance Minister Courtney Houssos banned new councils from signing up to the scheme earlier this year.

She wrote to councils telling them to revert to the old system of putting tickets under windscreen wipers.

But new data, obtained exclusively by the Telegraph, reveals that Ms Houssos’ directive fell on deaf ears.

More than 800,000 drivers copped a fine without immediately knowing about it last financial year. Picture: NCA NewsWire

More than 800,000 drivers copped a fine without immediately knowing about it last financial year, compared with almost 560,000 who got a ticket at the time of the offence.

Overall, 270,000 more ticketless fines were issued in 2023-24 compared with 2022-23. Last year, the ticketless fines raked in more than $155 million. Revenue jumped 51 per cent, or $52 million, compared to the year before.

The number of traditional parking fines issued dropped by 21 per cent last year, but taking into account the surge of ticketless fines issued, total revenue increased by 14 per cent – or $31.5 million.

Councils could be forced to leave a sticker or change every parking sign in their LGA. Picture: John Appleyard

Since Ms Houssos’ directive, 30 councils have indicated they have or plan to go back to traditional fines. However, some are refusing to do so unless they are forced by the state government.

Ms Houssos said that community feedback has “overwhelmingly” been in favour of “on- the-spot notifications of parking fines.”

“If councils aren’t willing to provide a commonsense fix, the NSW Government will step in and use our policy levers to ensure the ticketless parking fine system meets community expectations,” she said.

Residents who have been whacked with ticketless fines argue they are unfair and need to be scrapped.

Helensburgh resident Emma Clayton has to commute to work in Engadine is Sydney’s south where she works as a hairdresser. Ms Clayton has been lumped with parking fines while looking after customers at work.

Ms Clayton said she tried to contest the fine and wrote to the council asking if there was a possibility of getting parking permits for people who work in the area.

“The council told me I should just take public transport,” she said.

“They need to scrap ticketless parking tickets and give workers parking permits.”

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