Legislative Assembly reporter at The Canberra Times

Fined: Matthew Graham's parking ticket, right, and a screen shot showing how much time he had left according to the app.  Photo: Matthew Graham

Canberra's parking inspectors continue to draw the ire of drivers using a new smartphone application, with one going to extraordinary efforts to avoid fines. 

Canberra IT worker Matthew Graham has received three parking tickets in the city in the past week, despite paying the $14 daily fee through the Parkmobile application. 

Still no luck: Matthew Graham's sign did not prevent another ticket.  Photo: Matthew Graham

Introduced this year, the application records the owner's credit card details, number plate and parking location and allows drivers to pay without going to meters or displaying a printed ticket on the dashboard. 

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Signs on the meters say users of the application do not need to display a printed ticket, but Mr Graham says his experience has been somewhat different. 

Frustrated after receiving parking fines totalling $291 in just one week, he placed a printed sign on his dashboard on Wednesday while parked near Constitution Avenue. 

"I have paid for parking using the Parkmobile app," the sign said. " Stop giving me parking fines.  The sticker on the machine says I do not need to display a ticket." 

The written plea clearly fell flat, as the 28-year-old received another fine for $97 that day. 

"This Parkmobile app has failed and should be suspended until the ACT government fixes their mess," he said. 

"More people would definitely use the application if it worked, but how can people have confidence in it when they are hearing stories like this one?" 

Mr Graham said he had emailed a complaint from his car each time he received a fine, including a screenshot of the application's parking history function showing he had paid for parking. 

Inspectors have access to digital logs while checking cars around Canberra. 

"I called Canberra Connect on Wednesday and they said fines are now on hold so at least they have actually acknowledged them," he said. 

Mr Graham is yet to receive an official response from the Office of Regulatory Services. 

A $2.25 million deal has led to the introduction of state-of-the-art Duncan MX parking meters around Canberra, allowing users to pay with coins, credit cards or the Parkmobile app.  The machines are used in 70 locations around Australia and New Zealand. 

The ACT government began the rollout of 300 "pay and display" parking machines in March, replacing hundreds of coin-only meters. 

The new machines are in the city, Woden, Dickson, Belconnen, Manuka, Kingston and Tuggeranong. 

A spokeswoman for the ACT Justice and Community Safety Directorate said Mr Graham's fine was issued in error. 

"The ORS Parking Review Office is undertaking a review into this matter," she said in a statement. 

"Parking officers check the electronic records as a matter of standard operating procedure to determine if a Parkmobile session is active. 

"If anyone believes that they have received an infringement in error they should contact parking operations on 132 281." 

16 comments so far

Mr Graham is yet to receive an official response from the Office of Regulatory Services.  The ACT Justice and Community Safety Directorate, which includes ORS, has been contacted for comment. 

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. 

Commenter

BIGGLES

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 11:07AM

Start billing ORS for your time sorting it out, that's your right!  Send them an invoice for your time and costs

Commenter

bill them

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 11:18AM

How much will this advice from "The Bush Lawyer" set us back? 

Commenter

Payback

Location

Sydney

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 3:38PM

You don't need to be a lawyer to figure that one out, there is precedence my friend, just need to use your logic and read up a bit.  If you can write a letter you're half way there. 

Commenter

no lawyers

Date and time

August 22, 2014, 7:29AM

If we had decent public transport we wouldn't need to drive everywhere and pay for parking. 

Commenter

Mike

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 11:22AM

Bodes well for the introduction of paid parking in the "greater" (hand drawn by crayon to include non-Triangle areas) Parliamentary Triangle revenue blitz. 

Commenter

Outraged o'P

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 11:37AM

There were problems under the old system too.  I was booked for parking for 50 minutes in a 1 hour zone a few years ago.  The parking inspector acknowledged that he might have got his times wrong, but initially argued I was liable for 'almost overstaying the permitted time'.  When he eventually acknowledged his error, he told me he couldn't cancel the fine and to appeal it.  Despite several appeal letters (one via registered mail), that were never acknowledged, they just kept increasing the fine for overdue payment etc.  I presume i could sorry out they took me court and I could prove the inspectors error.  Instead they cancelled my license for having an unpaid fine without any court hearing or acknowledging letters.  Calls to Canberra Connect were never put through to anyone who could help.  The standard response was send a letter.  The letters were obviously ignored.  Eventually, rather than risk driving unlawfully and unlicensed and nullifying my insurance I had to pay the fine, which was several hundred dollars. It appears that nothing ever changes.  Good luck to Mr Graham, but based on my experience, ACT parking rangers are a law unto themselves with no common sense or accountability. 

Commenter

all to hard

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 1:17PM

I have recently received a fine from Sydney City Council...I shall not forgive or forget.  I shall remember this fine for years to come. 

Commenter

I despise Sydney City Council

Location

Despised land

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 1:23PM

Well they've forgotten you.  You're the only one hating here.  And while you're at it, don't break the law next time. :) 

Commenter

Suck it up

Date and time

August 25, 2014, 4:24AM

An app that lets people top-up the meter without physically going to the meter, defeats THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF HAVE TIME-LIMITED PARKING!!! 

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