South Australia to ban ticketless parking fines

Government bans ticketless parking fines

South Australia will introduce legislation requiring council inspectors to physically issue parking fines instead of posting them after camera cars scan for illegally parked vehicles.

Park Safe program triggers the change

The City of Adelaide's Park Safe car uses cameras mounted on top to scan for illegally parked cars and take high-quality photos, with trained officers reviewing images to verify offences.

One in four contested fines withdrawn

A recent City of Adelaide council report showed that on average, twenty five percent of contested fines were withdrawn following requests for reviews by parking information officers so far this year.

Tour operator hit with dozens of fines

Dallas Coull, a tour bus operator, said he never received fines before Park Safe but had received dozens and dozens since its implementation, causing him to avoid a hotel in the CBD.

“There's actually a hotel in the CBD that don't pick up [at] anymore because we get kept getting fines”

Premier says AI can still be used

Peter Malinauskas said AI technology could still be used, but any ticket would need to be physically issued by a council inspector at the time of the alleged offence.

“It's the practice of the car and the AI machine only forming the judgement that we are regulating out.”

Councils question why parking targeted

Local Government Association of SA president Heather Holmes-Ross said it was unusual the state government had not consulted them and questioned why parking fines were being attacked when the same technology is used for red…

“The technology we're talking about is the same technology that's used by red light cameras, phone detection, it's all the same software”

Government will consult stakeholders

The state government said there was an important distinction between enforcing parking restrictions and road safety laws, and said it would consult stakeholders including the Local Government Association of SA.