New technology will be taking note of illegal parking and time-limit offenders in Katikati over the next three months.

But you won’t be fined ... for now.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council has started a 12-week trial of car-mounted cameras to monitor parking areas in Katikati and Te Puke.

The trial uses the licence plate recognition (LPR) system, which is already used by some councils including Tauranga City Council.

No tickets will be issued as a result of the trial.

The camera trial has been set up to monitor illegal parking such as time-restricted parking, loading zones and yellow lines, says council team leader compliance support Sophie Scholes.

Some problem areas are outside of schools at pick-up and drop-off times.

“Part of the reason for the trial is to see how much of a problem there is with people parking illegally. We will have a better idea of how much of a problem it is, or otherwise, once we have completed the trial.”

A Katikati disability parking advocate says roving parking cameras in the town centre will make an “incredible difference”.

Claire Dale, a mobility permit holder, said the new technology “needs to happen”.

She views the abuse of mobility spaces as a human rights issue and is trying to get harsher fines for illegal parking in these spots and for private car parks nationally.

The mobility parking outside Unichem Katikati Pharmacy.

Claire regularly sees offending at the local supermarket and at the parks in front of Main Rd’s ANZ Bank and Unichem Katikati Pharmacy.

Permit holders give up and go home, she says.

If there’s an event outside of business hours, people use any parks available including private car parks, she says.

The new technology is also a must to keep parking officers safe, she says.

Sophie says another reason to explore the technology is they have seen an increase in aggression towards parking officers in recent years.

The cameras allow them to do their job safely without having to leave the car.

A trial by Western Bay of Plenty District Council is under way to gauge the benefits of using car-mounted cameras to enforce parking regulations.

It will also encourage a greater turnover of car parks in the town centres that will benefit shops and businesses.

“During the trial we will be collecting data and analysing it to see whether this is something that could help us keep a closer eye on parking and make our towns both safer and more accessible,” Sophie says.

A Katikati resident, who did not want to be named, says “nobody takes notice of the time limit” in Katikati, making it hard for older people to park close to where they needed.

He will welcome cameras to help monitor this, but worries the initiative is with a view to future parking meter machines.

“If they do that, that’ll be the end of it [Main Rd shopping].”

Sophie says the council has no plans to introduce parking machines in Katikati.

Unichem Katikati pharmacist Cherry Chen says a few customers have complained about non-permit holders taking the mobility park outside the pharmacy and a lack of parking availability in general.

The mobility park is particularly vital for people who can not physically walk into the pharmacy, she says, and staff can come out to them.

Cherry believes many drivers are not aware of the Kotahi Lane car parking space at the back of the shops.

Sophie says if the council does decide to go ahead following the trial, it will give people plenty of advance warning.

– Additional reporting Western Bay of Plenty District Council

-Katikati Advertiser.