Woman stands up to 'sneaky' $238 parking fine—you could be next if you're not careful!
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In the bustling streets of Hurstville, Sydney, where parking spaces are as coveted as a sunny day in winter, a local councillor found herself embroiled in a battle over a 'sneaky' $238 parking fine.
Georges River Councillor Ashvini Ambihaipahar was slapped with a ticketless fine after she made an emergency stop in a no-stopping zone to clear her foggy windscreen on a rainy night.
However, the fine wasn't issued on the spot but sent weeks later, leaving her without the dashcam footage that could have supported her case.
The incident raised questions about the transparency and fairness of the ticketless parking fine system.
Ambihaipahar's experience is not isolated; it reflects a growing concern among drivers who are penalised without immediate notice.
While the 'invisible' fines are environmentally friendly by reducing paper waste, they have been criticised for catching drivers off guard and generating a surge in revenue for councils.
Introduced in NSW in 2020 by the former state government, the ticketless scheme allows parking officers to send fine details directly to Revenue NSW, which then issues an infringement notice by post or through the Service NSW app.
While some councils, like Blacktown and Mosman, have chosen not to adopt this paperless system, others have embraced it, leading to a significant increase in fine revenue.
In 2023 alone, paperless fines generated a staggering $139 million across the state.
The NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos has since intervened, urging councils to reconsider the adoption of ticketless parking fines.
Local Government NSW President Darriea Turley claimed that issuing fines without tickets reduces ranger abuse.
‘[The state council] actually use cameras and AI for fines themselves, so I don't know why they are targeting local government,’ she said.
‘Councils just want the safety of their workers.’
The NRMA has also voiced its concerns, labelling the system as 'unfair' and highlighting the reduced transparency that makes it harder for individuals to contest fines, especially in inadequate or obscured signage.
‘While we understand councils have to manage parking and we can't have people abusing the system, [the move] reduces the ability for those who feel they have a right to contest [their fine],’ spokesperson Peter Khoury explained.
‘That includes instances where there is inadequate signage, where a sign is hidden, or other circumstances that may mean a review of a fine is successful,’
Councillor Ambihaipahar, having successfully contested her fine in court, is now championing the cause of abolishing the ticketless fine system in her local government area (LGA).
In related news, ticketless parking fines in New South Wales (NSW) have been discontinued due to public disapproval.
NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos instructed councils to return to using paper tickets for parking fines to rebuild community trust. Read more about this story here.
Have you encountered similar issues? Do you think the convenience of modern parking technology is worth the potential for 'sneaky' fines? Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Georges River Councillor Ashvini Ambihaipahar was slapped with a ticketless fine after she made an emergency stop in a no-stopping zone to clear her foggy windscreen on a rainy night.
However, the fine wasn't issued on the spot but sent weeks later, leaving her without the dashcam footage that could have supported her case.
The incident raised questions about the transparency and fairness of the ticketless parking fine system.
Ambihaipahar's experience is not isolated; it reflects a growing concern among drivers who are penalised without immediate notice.
Georges River Councillor Ashvini Ambihaipahar challenged ticketless parking fines after receiving a fine in a no-stopping zone. Credit: Shutterstock
While the 'invisible' fines are environmentally friendly by reducing paper waste, they have been criticised for catching drivers off guard and generating a surge in revenue for councils.
Introduced in NSW in 2020 by the former state government, the ticketless scheme allows parking officers to send fine details directly to Revenue NSW, which then issues an infringement notice by post or through the Service NSW app.
While some councils, like Blacktown and Mosman, have chosen not to adopt this paperless system, others have embraced it, leading to a significant increase in fine revenue.
In 2023 alone, paperless fines generated a staggering $139 million across the state.
The NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos has since intervened, urging councils to reconsider the adoption of ticketless parking fines.
Local Government NSW President Darriea Turley claimed that issuing fines without tickets reduces ranger abuse.
‘[The state council] actually use cameras and AI for fines themselves, so I don't know why they are targeting local government,’ she said.
‘Councils just want the safety of their workers.’
The NRMA has also voiced its concerns, labelling the system as 'unfair' and highlighting the reduced transparency that makes it harder for individuals to contest fines, especially in inadequate or obscured signage.
‘While we understand councils have to manage parking and we can't have people abusing the system, [the move] reduces the ability for those who feel they have a right to contest [their fine],’ spokesperson Peter Khoury explained.
‘That includes instances where there is inadequate signage, where a sign is hidden, or other circumstances that may mean a review of a fine is successful,’
Councillor Ambihaipahar, having successfully contested her fine in court, is now championing the cause of abolishing the ticketless fine system in her local government area (LGA).
In related news, ticketless parking fines in New South Wales (NSW) have been discontinued due to public disapproval.
NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos instructed councils to return to using paper tickets for parking fines to rebuild community trust. Read more about this story here.
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