POD plan: Shire considers sensors to monitor timed parking

THE Surf Coast Shire is considering a proposal to install sensor technology that will monitor how long people park their cars for in time-restricted areas.

Councillors considered an officers’ report on the proposal at their meeting on Tuesday.

The aim of the Parking Overstay Detection Systems (PODS) is to increase the turnover of cars parked near key commercial areas.

The system is able to detect when a car is present through magnetic sensors installed below each parking space.

The proposal would see 399 of the sensors installed across the timed parking spaces in five places: the commercial area in Bell Street, Torquay; the timed spaces at Jan Juc Village shopping centre; the parking spaces between Otway Street and Bell Street at Mountjoy Parade, Lorne; the timed spaces next to the footpath out the front of Anglesea’s shopping precinct; and across the Gilbert Street precinct in Torquay.

The proposal states that “there will be no change to existing parking restrictions,” with the technology aimed at providing a more efficient method of enforcing timing restrictions.

Implementing the PODS would have an estimated one-year cost of $234,000 and a five-year project cost of $330,000.

The initial cost would be drawn from the Surf Coast Shire’s Accumulated Unallocated Cash Reserve.

In discussing the financial implications, the proposal states that if two infringements per sensor occurred each year, then the five-year cost would be fully funded by regulatory breaches.  The proposal implies this is likely to occur.

“It is expected that, over time, this project will be self-funding with no cost to ratepayers.”

The five-year timeline is not arbitrary, as this is the approximate lifespan of PODS.

The shire recently surveyed 51 traders across the Surf Coast region about the technology, and 78 per cent said they were in support.

However, only 59 per cent of respondents believed there was an issue with people staying in time-restricted parking spaces for longer than allowed.

If the PODS are implemented, officers will still issue parking infringement notices in the same way.

According to the officers’ report, PODS are deemed to be very accurate, and subsequently produce evidence that is legal, admissible and proven in Australian courts.

The sensors have a set time, after which they will notify parking officers via an app on their phone. The proposal also mentions the possibility of a “grace period” included in the predetermined times.