A new system of monitoring for parking infringements using ground sensors is the latest brain child of the Melbourne City Council. It expects to earn $3 million extra per year with the new sensors that will alert parking inspectors about motorists that tend to over stay their time limits.
The new technology with the in- ground sensors has cost the council $5.5 million and will be installed in July. The new sensors which will send a message to the nearest parking inspector about cars that have overstayed longer than five minutes will be installed in 4,619 single marked bays by October end.
There is also the proposal to introduce license plate recognition to identify the vehicles that are over sting parking slot time in residential areas. The systems will work in Flemington, Kensington, North Melbourne and Carlton.
The Melbourne City Council may have voted unanimously for the system, but the inner city residents are none too pleased with the idea. A Southbank residents’ group spokesperson, Joe Bagnara said that it was a Draconian method being instigated.
Joe Bagnara said that it would not make it easier for people to park but would raise money. He said that it was just a money making scheme for the council and that the residents were very unhappy about it. Happy or not the residents will have to face the technology from July.