No More Chalk And No Tickets: How Sydney Drivers Are Being Fined

According to Parkopedia’s Global Parking Index, Australia is the most expensive country to park a car, with Sydney being the second most expensive city after New York in the entire world. 

In Sydney, it costs an average of $48 for two hours off-street parking, while the priciest on-street parking is in the Northern Beaches, with parking from Manly to Palm Beach being $10 an hour. 

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So, why is Sydney parking worsening? How will the new ‘Print and Post’ penalty issuing system affect our everyday lives? 

In today’s episode of THIS ARVO IN SYDNEY, host Sacha Barbour Gatt and LiSTNR news producer Madeline Palmer discuss the most expensive parking areas in Sydney and the impacts followed by the city’s new penalty issuing system. 

Palmer spoke to Peter Khoury from the National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) and a Sydney tradie Julian, to find out their perspectives on Sydney’s parking issue. 

In the last financial year alone, Sydney City Council has issued more than 134, 000 fines worth more than $21,100,000. 

A new penalty issuing system called “Print and Post” has been introduced and adopted by 36 Sydney councils. 

Under the new scheme, more areas bring in meters to charge, and parking inspectors move to a system where fines are posted rather than being left on the dash.  

However, this also means people might not even know they have been fined until they receive it in the post.

Julian told Palmer he had been fined three times over one week when working in the CBD.

It was all for just ten minutes out of time, and you still pay tickets all day, because you don’t know you’ve been fined,”

he said.

Mr Khoury said a lack of uniformity and confusing signs were making things worse. 

How many examples have we seen of people who thought they were doing the right thing? Having looked at these multiple multi-layered 2-hour loading zones, ‘yes you can park, no, you can’t park signs’…And we are still waiting for a solution promised for years,”

Mr Khoury said.

In response to the new penalty system, a spokesperson for NSW Transport says the trial can lead to a “possible reduction in accidental fines and towing incidents during the clearway times.”

Hosted by Sacha Barbour, This Arvo in Sydney is a 10 to 12 minute daily news podcast made just for Sydney! Listen now on the Listnr app.