Deluge of complaints over incorrect parking tickets prompts calls to review technology being used

MANLY’S fancy parking system uses roving cameras and global positioning satellites to keep track of parking spots — unfortunately it’s no good.

• Digital meters not so fine
• Digital glitch angers drivers
• Unpaid fines put brakes on budget
• Resident’s win over digital parking system fail

MANLY councillors are calling for a complete overhaul of the area’s hi-tech parking system after receiving many complaints from residents.

The most outrageous involved a permit-holding resident fined $106 while parked in the street where he lives.

Councillor Hugh Burns said he is fed up with all aspects of the system, which he says has become too reliant on technology and makes the complaint process deliberately difficult.

“It’s like that line, ‘the computer says yes or no’ and residents can’t challenge it,” Cr Burns said.

The complex digital parking system uses a combination of licence plate recognition technology and, according to the council “a highly-accurate global positioning system”.

There are also different rules for different streets — with the beachfront having meters where permit holders have to punch in their licence plate number and other zones where permit holders are simply exempt from the time limits.

In theory it’s policed by a roving camera that scans numberplates.

But that went wrong in the case of Dean Logan — who was “busted” and fined $106 for parking in his own street.

Mr Logan, who has a resident parking permit, was parked on Ashburner St — where he lives.

Mr Logan’s car was parked on Ashburner when he got a ticket, but according to the mobile camera, he was parked on South Steyne in a metered area. Picture: Virginia Young.

But according to the camera, his car was parked in a metered area on South Steyne, so the fine was issued as he apparently did not have a ticket displayed.

“How many of these photos is council taking and how many others are wasting all this time fighting,” he said.

“It’s wrong to accuse someone of wrongdoing when the system is broken.”

Cr Burns said there is no accountability by the council if a resident is incorrectly issued a fine.

“The council has misplaced faith in the machines and computer processes,” he said.

Councillor Candy Bingham said the council has introduced “this whiz bang technology” no one knows how to operate and council takes no responsibility for.

“It’s a total mess,” Cr Bingham said.

A Manly Council spokesman said it uses established, tried and tested licence plate recognition technology equipped with a highly accurate global positioning system.

“Anyone who feels they have been incorrectly fined is encouraged to contact council,” he said.