Aussies dobbing in their neighbours to council in droves over parking act
Send Snap Solve has seen a huge 60 per cent increase in the number of illegal parking reports in Perth this year – a common trend around the country.
Neighbours are dobbing on each other in droves over an act that has increasingly become a point of contention in Aussie suburbs — as locals complain about illegal parking. Residents living in Perth’s north say the issue has gotten out of hand, with new data revealing a 61 per cent increase in complaints about parking so far this year.
Local Kevin West claims his suburb of Tapping has become an illegal parking hotspot, forcing him to report drivers through the Snap Send Solve app at least once a week. The app allows residents to submit photos of wrongdoing and the service then alerts the local council.
Speaking to 9News on Sunday, West said he frequently encounters cars blocking footpaths in his neighbourhood.
“Just do the right thing. A footpath is a footpath, it’s there for a purpose,” he urged drivers, lamenting that he's often forced to walk off the path and onto the road.
“…You’ve either got to try and squeeze past on the lefthand side of the vehicle or alternatively you’ve physically got to walk into the traffic.”
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Snap Send Solve has received almost 6,000 reports of illegal parking in Perth this year — a huge 61 per cent jump from last year.
Danny Gorog, the company’s CEO, told 9News it is becoming “harder and harder” for people to find available spots in the “very car-centric city”. As well as footpath wars, the app has seen increases in the number of residents submitting photos of abandoned cars and those illegally parked in disabled bays.
Illegal parking a 'top issue'
Speaking to Yahoo News after a photo of a Tesla’s questionable parking spot went viral in May, Gorog revealed illegal parking is one of "the top issues reported" to Send Snap Solve. “[There has been] 40,061 reports from January to April this year — a significant 49 per cent increase from the same period last year,” he explained.
“In New South Wales, we’ve seen a notable 48 per cent increase in the first quarter of 2024 compared to last year. And last month, Snap Send Solve recorded a staggering 3,138 reports of illegal parking — a 43 per cent increase from April last year.”
He said the surge could be attributed to a lack of available parking spaces and the expensive costs associated with securing a spot.
"Moreover, confusing or inconsistent parking regulations can result in people parking illegally," he said, adding an increase in the popularity of EVs has also led to an “increasing number of reports of ICE cars parking illegally in EV-designated spots”.
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