Te Puke and Katikati town centres’ camera trial

A trial by Western Bay of Plenty District Council is under way to gauge the benefits of using car-mounted cameras to enforce parking regulations.

Increased aggression towards parking officers is one of the reasons Western Bay of Plenty District Council is testing a different way of enforcing parking regulations.

Roving parking cameras are being tried in Te Puke and Katikati to see if they would be of benefit.

The three-month trial by Western Bay of Plenty District Council will use the Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) system already used by a number of councils, including Tauranga City Council.

High-resolution cameras will capture licence plates and GPS locations of parked cars, to identify those that have parked for longer than the designated time limit, or that are parked illegally, for instance on yellow lines. No tickets will be issued as a result of the trial.

Council is exploring the technology for a number of reasons, says Sophie Scholes, the council’s compliance support team leader.

“In recent years we have seen an increase in aggression towards parking officers. The cameras would allow them to do their job safely, without having to leave the car,” she says.

Another safety consideration is drivers causing hazards by parking where they shouldn’t, she adds.

High-resolution cameras will capture licence plates and GPS locations of parked cars.

“Parking on yellow lines outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times is a growing problem. The LPR system would help identify who is parking on the lines and act as a deterrent for unsafe parking.”

It would also encourage a greater turnover of parking spaces in the town centres, which would benefit shops and businesses.

“During the trial, we will be collecting data and analysing it to see whether this is something that could help us keep a closer eye on parking and make our towns both safer and more accessible,” says Sophie.

“You can expect to see our car around town, with two cameras on top, over the next 12 weeks, but we won’t be issuing any tickets for vehicles caught on camera. If we do decide to go ahead, following the trial, we will give people plenty of warning.”