Surf Coast Shire Council is installing sensors from Monday 22 June in selected car parking bays to help traders maximise customer traffic, which can be reduced when cars overstay the time limit and prevent others from using the bays.
“The aim of the technology is to improve parking availability, which has become problematic, especially at peak times,” said Cr Brian McKiterick.
The technology will be used for data collection only over the upcoming quieter winter months. Advice signs will be placed with existing parking signs prior to the technology being used for enforcement purposes.
Last year, traders expressed their concern to Council about motorists overstaying in time restricted parking spaces and a survey of 51 traders in Torquay, Jan Juc, Anglesea and Lorne identified that 78 per cent supported the introduction of sensor technology.
“Sensor based technology to deliver efficient enforcement of time restricted parking spaces is readily available, commonly used and reliable,” said Cr McKiterick.
“The technology will support Local Laws Officers to manage time-limited parking more efficiently and improve turnover of car parks in busy areas.”
The technology won’t change current parking controls, including existing time limits. Nor will it result in paid parking or affect how officers issue parking fines. Drivers will only be impacted if they breach existing parking restrictions.
The technology replaces the need for parking officers to ‘chalk’ tyres to determine when vehicles overstay. Officers will have an app on their phones that will highlight the breach and enable them to go to the space and move the driver on, issue a warning or an infringement notice.
The system, known as Parking Overstay Detection System or PODS, will be installed in the following trading locations:
Location | Number | Details |
Gilbert Street Precinct | 81 | Asphalt section of Gilbert Street, Cliff Street carpark, Bristol Road between Cliff and Pearl Streets |
Bell Street | 101 | All timed parking spaces in the commercial area |
Jan Juc Village | 45 | All timed parking spaces in the shopping village |
Anglesea Shopping Precinct | 40 | All timed parking spaces adjacent to the footpath, fronting shops |
Mountjoy Parade | 132 | All parking spaces between Otway and Bay Streets |
Sensor based technology has been used in Australia for more than 10 years and is reliable and readily available. Sensors are installed in the ground below each parking space and magnetically detect a vehicle parked in the space.
