Ticketless parking fines to be banned after councils rake in $158 million
The NSW government is cracking down on the controversial parking system many Sydney councils have implemented.
The state government is cracking down on stubborn councils still issuing ticketless parking fines across NSW, a scheme which has long been slammed as being unfair and greedy. Despite previous warnings to several major councils around Sydney, it seems many have still been using the system which is costing drivers millions.
The Minns government on Tuesday announced it will formally take action against the controversial ticketing system which has generated millions in revenue for Sydney councils.
The move follows a 49 per cent year-on-year surge in ticketless parking fines being issued in NSW in the 2023-24 financial year, as revealed by the state government in August. Councils issued 822,310 ticketless parking fines in 2023-24. Total ticketless parking fine revenue also surged to $158 million in 2023-24, up 54 per cent on the year prior.
Concerns raised over ticketless parking fine system
Instead of leaving a physical infringement notice on windscreens, the "invisible" ticketless system allows parking officers to "send details of a fine directly to Revenue NSW which then sends an infringement notice by post or the Service NSW app" to the motorist. But opponents to the ticketless system have raised concerns about drivers being unable to contest infringement notices which often don't turn up until days or weeks later.
Because drivers don't immediately know they've received a parking ticket, they are unable to gather potential evidence to dispute the charge. There is also less of a deterrent as drivers could conceivably rack up multiple fines before realising they had been charged.
State government bans controversial ticketing system
On Tuesday, the Minns government announced legislation will be introduced this month to put a stop to the unfair system once and for all. It will require councils to attach an on-the-spot notification to a vehicle in the form of a traditional ticket or sticker, or a short description of the offence and notice that a fine will be sent to them.
Parking rangers will also need to take photos of the offence as proof of the illegal parking act, and the process for challenging fines will be streamlined
Councils warned to reconsider ticketless parking system
NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos first wrote a letter to all 128 local councils in March to halt the further adoption of ticketless parking fines, and encourage changes to the scheme after a surge in revenue was noticed. At the time, roughly 40 councils had already made the switch to a ticketless system.
“The current implementation of the ticketless parking system has eroded trust in [the] parking fine system,” she wrote. "Providing immediate notification to drivers is the right thing to do."
She warned that if "councils aren’t willing to provide a common-sense fix, the NSW Government will step in". She said the aim was to "ensure the ticketless parking fine system meets community expectations".
But those councils currently using the ticketless system refused, saying it was paramount to the safety of parking rangers.
Fuel efficient parking spots highlight Australia's $14 billion mistake
Woman battles council over parking sign 'with word in the wrong place'
New legislation as 'drivers deserve better'
Addressing the new legislation, Houssos said this week, "setting new, higher standards for parking fines, including rules about invalidating unfair fines, is the right thing to do and goes a long way to re-building community trust.
"No one ever likes to get a parking fine, but the idea you only find out about a fine weeks later doesn’t pass the common sense test.
"Frustration among drivers and community members about the ticketless parking system is high – and that’s fair enough. The ticketless parking fine system was introduced by the previous government without regard for the impact on drivers and families."
Premier Chris Minns said "drivers deserve better than the current system" and that "too many motorists have driven off with no idea they might be liable for a parking fine."
"This system was introduced by the former government without enough protections for drivers. We’re fixing that."
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
