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.

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.

Key Takeaways

• Georges River Councillor Ashvini Ambihaipahar has challenged the ticketless parking fine system after receiving a $238 fine for safety reasons in a no-stopping zone.
• Ambihaipahar successfully contested the fine in court and is now advocating for abolishing ticketless fines in her local government area (LGA).
• The NSW state government asked councils to re-evaluate the ticketless fine system due to concerns over transparency and a surge in fine revenue.
• Paperless fines introduced in NSW have been controversial, with claims of unfairness and decreased transparency by the NRMA, but some believe they help reduce the rate of ranger abuse.

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.

 

[Tervueren]

Not fair!
No transparency.

 

[Greg350]

Not fair!
No transparency.

Sign says No Stopping. That means......NO STOPPING.

Very simple.

 

[Vio Kot]

Sign says No Stopping. That means......NO STOPPING.

Very simple.

What if for medical or safety purposes?

 

[BruceC]

What if for medical or safety purposes?

Simple. Then you explain the situation and the fine will be cancelled.
Simple. Don’t park where is says “No Standing or No Parking”!

 

[Bullwinkle]

What’s hard about this to understand!!
The sign says “No Stopping” which means just that No Stopping…..stop whining and pay the fine!!! Simple

 

[harrywwc]

Sign says No Stopping. That means......NO STOPPING.

Very simple.

from the NSW Road Safety rules [emphasis mine]...

The ‘No stopping’ sign means you must not stop at any point on the road or kerb in the direction of the arrow, unless in an emergency.

I would suggest that if you can't see through the front windscreen, that would count as a (potential) 'emergency'.

 

[tekkac]

Ccouncils just want the extra revenue, it has nothing to do with the safety of their rangers

 

[Rob44]

That woman who stopped to clear fog from her windscreen was eminently sensible. That, even without facing those horrible "blue" blinding headlights that people keep on, day and night make it dangerous to drive under such circumstances .

As for the"ticketless fine" law, what else can be expected of the former brain-dead LNP politicians of NSW, who also made it utterly impossible to keep Covid out of Australia, difficult as it was in the first place

 

[bschulze]

Sign says No Stopping. That means......NO STOPPING.

Very simple.

Easy said when you are not driving a car with fogged up windows and stop to clear them for no longer than a minute or so

 

[Annna]

Sign says No Stopping. That means......NO STOPPING.

Very simple.

What if it is an emergency?

Ashvini Ambihaipahar stopped to clean her windscreen (safety issue).

Arguing the need to stop after the event would have been very difficult.

Ashvini did so and was successful. Doesn't mean that everyone would succeed. You're at the mercy of a Magistrate.

A paper fine alerts the person to the alleged breach immediately allowing him/her to record an explanation/the circumstances and to note evidence (photos etc).

It is the only fair way to fine.

 

[Pommyoz]

A/C on before you drive out of a spot, and fully understanding how this works would have helped immensely. I have friends who have theirs on the windscreen permanently, it’s awful in middle of summer. Read your car manual.

 

[Judio]

No stopping means just that!

 

[richmich.4422@gmail]

I agree Pommyoz.

Does the woman in question know what window demisters are for ? Does she realise that she has to turn them on to demist the windows ? Sometimes winding windows down also helps. putting the car heater on & directing the heat onto the windscreen, full blast also helps. Maybe she was driving around in a 1950 model car, pre demister models. Who knows wot her mindset was whilst driving. Hmmm, one just wonders.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Sign says No Stopping. That means......NO STOPPING.

Very simple.

from the NSW Road Safety rules [emphasis mine]...

I would suggest that if you can't see through the front windscreen, that would count as a (potential) 'emergency'.

That shut you up quick smart. The one who says council rangers are able to issue parking infringement notices on State controlled roads, highways and freeways.

@Greg350 are you council ranger by any chance? Or a feeble security "guard" who failed their police entrance exam?

 

[Greg350]

What if for medical or safety purposes?

But it was to clear her windscreen. She got that far, she can move another few metres to a safer spot.

 

[Greg350]

That shut you up quick smart. The one who says council rangers are able to issue parking infringement notices on State controlled roads, highways and freeways.

@Greg350 are you council ranger by any chance? Or a feeble security "guard" who failed their police entrance exam?

From the one who hasn't given ANY proof about not issuing fines on State controlled roads.

You posted some rubbish about traffic controls like traffic lights being approved by State government, and that's your proof that councils can't issue parking fines on State roads, hahahahahahaha.

 

[Clancieblue]

What if for medical or safety purposes?

Could have caused a major accident in a no stopping zone. Why didn't she have her demisters on?

 

[Veggiepatch]

From the one who hasn't given ANY proof about not issuing fines on State controlled roads.

You posted some rubbish about traffic controls like traffic lights being approved by State government, and that's your proof that councils can't issue parking fines on State roads, hahahahahahaha.

Reading and comprehension is not your forte.

That is NOT an opinion.

It is FACT. Dimwit.

 

[Ebby]

from the NSW Road Safety rules [emphasis mine]...

I would suggest that if you can't see through the front windscreen, that would count as a (potential) 'emergency'.

Yes it would but they're places you can safely pull over without being a danger to others.

That woman who stopped to clear fog from her windscreen was eminently sensible. That, even without facing those horrible "blue" blinding headlights that people keep on, day and night make it dangerous to drive under such circumstances .

As for the"ticketless fine" law, what else can be expected of the former brain-dead LNP politicians of NSW, who also made it utterly impossible to keep Covid out of Australia, difficult as it was in the first place

She should have pulled into a safe spot there is no excuse.As for keeping Covid out of Australia l thought you said the vaccines would do that !.Doesn't seem to be working Rob.