The Town of Gawler is set to trial innovative vehicle-mounted Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras over the next six months as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance over a larger area of Gawler, parking management and enforcement. This technology will assist in patrolling illegally parked vehicles to provide valuable data to improve parking controls within the Gawler CBD to ensure parking availability for those who need it.
The LPR system utilises vehicle-mounted cameras that capture images of parked cars, incorporating GPS location and timestamping data to determine if vehicles have overstayed their parking limits or are parked illegally. By embracing this emerging technology, the Town of Gawler joins a number of interstate and South Australian councils that have already implemented similar systems to enhance parking enforcement.
The introduction of LPR technology is not weather dependant and offers greater efficiency and a broader area of coverage for Community Safety Officers. The trial is expected to demonstrate that officers can monitor more locations within the town using similar or even reduced staff time, allowing them to focus on other critical tasks such as addressing unsightly premises, responding to domestic animal issues, managing illegal dumping, and fire protection.
Mounted internally within patrol vehicles, the LPR equipment provides improved safety for officers and the ability to cover more ground in significantly less time. The trial, which will focus solely on testing the capabilities of the technology, will not result in fines being issued during the first two weeks.
The trial will officially begin on 2 September 2024 with a two-week caution period where those found in violation of parking rules will receive warnings. From Monday, 16 September 2024, the six-month trial will commence, during which fines will be issued for confirmed parking offences.
The Town of Gawler will keep the community informed throughout the trial and ensure parking management improvements are effectively implemented.
If you have any questions regarding the trail, please contact Council via 8522 9211 or by emailing council@gawler.sa.gov.au
