Monitoring of parked cars in the Tamworth Local Government Area is rolling towards the future with the introduction of a Licence Plate Recognition Camera (LPRC).
The state-of-the-art system, which includes hardware mounted to a vehicle and software installed on a handheld device, will replace the old tyre chalking method of patrolling in a move to increase turnover of car parks in the CBD.
Council uses a mix of parking restrictions to accommodate the many and varied needs of the community. For example, providing 15-minute parking near the Tamworth post office and 1-hour parking in Peel Street near cafés and shops as well as 2-hour, 4-hour, disabled and all-day parking ensures a turnover of parking spaces.
Tamworth Regional Council Director Liveable Communities, Gina Vereker said after a successful trial earlier in the year, it was an easy decision to make the switch permanently.
"The trial resulted in improvement in traffic movement due to increased parking availability in the CBD and reduced staff time patrolling time restricted parking areas," she said
"The LPRC will manage multiple parking locations, automatically detecting vehicle overstays when driving through parking zones.
"This new system will allow us to be more proficient with time and resources by reducing the time spent manually tyre chalking vehicles then returning to check for overstays. It will also minimise the amount of time officers are walking between traffic and on the road ways, reducing the risk of them being injured as they work."
Ms Vereker said the strong advice for CBD workers who have until now removed chalk marks or looked out for officers patrolling there will no longer be any way to evade overstay detection.
"When staff are continuously parking in the same park all day despite time restrictions, it increases congestion and makes it difficult for people to access the services they are after," she said. "The LPRC will make it easier to identify these vehicles, which will increase the number of drivers using these parking zones correctly."
The LRPC works by syncing the data from the vehicle mounted camera with the dashboard on a handheld device, allowing officers with live monitoring of parking zones and real-time alerts of vehicle overstays. The camera can be easily removed and installed on a variety of Council vehicles as needed. The system will also provide Council with more detailed data regarding traffic in parking zones which can then be used to assist a range of future parking improvements and planning.
While drivers in the region will see some changes in the way these zones are monitored, the delivery of infringement notices will remain the same. Printed notices will continue to be placed on vehicle windscreens, with some exceptions where officer and community safety may be at risk. These exceptions generally relate to school zones and these notices will continue to be mailed to the owners of cars who break the rules.
The use of the camera technology is one of the initiatives of the draft Tamworth Regional Parking Strategy which is now on public exhibition to allow the community to give Council their feedback.
