Thursday 30 June 2022 06:51 AM Australian parking rangers' sneaky new trick: SUVs pop up in Wolli Creek trends now
Councils across Australia have a new weapon in their war on drivers parking illegally - with sneaky high-tech equipment replacing roaming rangers on the streets.
The technology has been used by select councils across Australia and is now gaining widespread traction.
Unmarked cars, decked out with smart cameras and automated fining technology, can instantly fine cars overstaying their welcome in public carparks.
In Wolli Creek, in Sydney's south, locals have spotted tricky SUVs with awkward looking security-style cameras hanging out of their windows, replacing parking rangers armed with chalk.
The cars were introduced in the area by Bayside Council in 2020 but went mostly unnoticed due to Covid lockdowns.
The council is also mailing fines to alleged offenders, eradicating the need for a traditional slip left tucked under a windscreen wiper.
Some have been outraged by the covert vehicles, but the council say the cars have multiple upsides.
Hi-tech camera (pictured) and GPS technologies are combined in the formidable automated parking ranger cars
Residents in Bayside council have only now started noticing the ranger cars (pictured) as they were implemented during the pandemic
'(The technology is responsible for) a significant reduction in administration time and reduces the number of infringements impacted by weather or taken off vehicles by others,' said a spokeswoman for the council.
'It has also reduced physical and verbal abuse to our parking officers in these areas by 100 per cent.'
Licence Plate Recognition and GPS software enable the council to pick out offenders with precision - with details instantly sent to Revenue NSW to chase them up.
'The LPR system has simplified the process of issuing infringement notices.
'The file is sent to Revenue NSW who issue the penalty infringement notice directly to the offending vehicle owner.'
