Residents of Manly and the rest of Northern Beaches are at the forefront of a campaign to revive the use of physical parking tickets in New South Wales, seeking to improve transparency and fairness in the enforcement of parking regulations. They are challenging the state-wide ticketless parking fine system that has been in place since 2020.
This system of notifying motorists of fines via email or post without issuing a physical ticket has been met with considerable dissatisfaction. In Manly, a key community within the Northern Beaches Council, the lack of immediate, tangible fines has caused significant confusion and made it difficult for residents to contest penalties promptly.
Concerns peaked during a recent local council meeting, during which the community vocalised its frustration, prompting discussions about the practicality of reversing the electronic fine system. This local action reflects the broader challenges faced by motorists across the state, who have criticised the impersonal nature of the new system.
Northern Beaches reported a sharp increase in ticketless fines last year, mirroring a statewide trend of over 822,310 such fines issued. Given the delayed notifications, many saw this approach not only as a departure from the norm but also as a potential barrier to fair dispute resolution.
The debate in the Northern Beaches resonates with sentiments in other NSW suburbs, where there is a strong call for legislative changes to ensure on-the-spot notifications accompany fines. This would mark a significant shift back to the older system, which many believe offers a more straightforward and just method of notifying drivers of parking violations.
As discussions continue, the community in Manly remains at the forefront of advocating for a system that balances efficiency with the need for clarity and immediate communication, ensuring that all drivers have a fair chance to respond to and contest parking fines.
Published 18-Sept-2024
