Port Macquarie parking rangers ditch the walk’n’chalk for mounted cameras

A three-month trial of licence plate recognition technology to enforce parking rules is underway in the Port Macquarie CBD.

No longer will council rangers patrol on foot, ready to mark tyres of parked cars in signposted areas.

Instead, a vehicle-mounted camera will read the licence plates of parked cars.

Rules to remain: Parking time limits and conditions will remain the same.

Council says it will issue warning notices “at the outset of the trial”, however standard enforcement methods such as infringement notices will be implemented as the trial progresses. No set date has been provided for this changeover.

Keep the CBD free: Council says the technology will improve parking compliance, leading to improved turnover of spots in the CBD and better business visitation.

To free up CBD spots, Mayor Adam Roberts suggested alternate parking areas at the “fringes of the CBD” were being underutilised and may suit the parking needs of business owners and employees.

Businesses unaware: The Mid North Coaster spoke to a number of CBD business owners on Tuesday afternoon, however none were aware of the trial.

The franchisee at a restaurant chain, who did not want to be identified, said while revenue raising programs were always unpopular with the community, they didn’t mind as long as parking time limits remained the same. 

Information gathering: Council will collect data during the trial, which it says will inform decisions on long-term parking management. 

In a separate project, council is reviewing how extra car parking spaces could be created in or near the Port Macquarie CBD. 

Image credit: PMHC.