Number plate recognition trial comes to an end

Orange drivers who over-stay a parking time-zone limit will be facing an increased likelihood of picking up a parking fine, now that the month-long trial of the new number-plate (NPR) recognition system has come to an end.

Over the last month hundreds of drivers who have over-stayed a time-parking limit have received a warning note under their windscreen wiper, instead of an actual fine.

From Tuesday (29 March) parking patrol officers began issuing tickets instead of warnings.

City of Orange Traffic Committee chair, Cr Russell Turner believes the month long trial has been successful.

“Simply having a very visible signed car out on the streets of Orange is making a difference in the way drivers are parking,” Cr Russell Turner said. “Shopkeepers and other business owners are reporting much more turnover of vehicles in the main street. It looks like all-day parkers are choosing to park a block or so out on the fringe of the shopping area where there’s no parking limits.”

“There’s a significant but not huge rise in the number of tickets that would have been issued, so it seems drivers are responding to a higher visibility of the parking rangers, as much as the higher likelihood that they’ll get a ticket.”

MOBILE : Orange City Council's Mobile Parking Patrol car is ready to roll. (l. to r.) Parking ranger Lee Snell is pictured with Cr Russell Turner and ranger Ray Coleman.

Before the NPR system was introduced, Orange City Council’s team of three parking patrol officers, working on foot, would write around 20 tickets a day, while it’s estimated under the new regime (foot patrols and NPR) will result in around 35 tickets a day are being issued.

During March, rangers continuing with foot patrols issued around 10-15 tickets a day, while the new system resulted in around 20 warnings being issued.

“The new system actually detected around 50 cars a day were over-staying a parking time-limit, but by the time rangers had completed procedures such as returning to each car, checking comparative images and looking for mobility stickers, more than half those drivers had moved on.”

“The important thing is not that Orange City Council might miss out on some parking fine revenue but that drivers now know they have to move their car more often.”

“Drivers have also learnt that the parking patrol officers are covering a much larger area every day. Before, an officer on foot writing chalk marks on tyres, might cover only a few blocks, it takes the same time in take the car to cover most of the CBD.”

The offence of parking in an area longer than allowed carries a $106 fine.

“Orange City Council is not looking for increased revenue, but instead a fairer and more efficient use of the available parking spots”.