A GREATER fear of being caught overstaying the time limit in a parking space could change the behaviour of Orange drivers and ease the parking problem in some congested areas of the CBD.
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Ironically, it is the fear factor generated by mobile parking patrols in Bathurst that demonstrate what a powerful deterrent effective enforcement could be.
As the report on page three today shows, there are far more motorists caught for parking infringements in Orange than in Bathurst where number plate recognition technology has replaced the traditional brown bomber pounding the pavement with a stick of chalk.
The question for Orange City Council is whether switching to the mobile unit would quickly teach drivers to abide by parking zones because the likelihood of being caught by the camera was now much higher.
Hard evidence might be hard to find but the perception in Bathurst at least is that drivers know a patrolling car with a camera and timer sweeps the CBD streets at regular intervals and, consequently, parking restrictions are front-of-mind with most motorists.
The number of fines and the amount of revenue raised appears to bear this out.
Three times as many motorists are booked in Orange and yet far more cars are probably monitored in Bathurst.
In considering a switch to the mobile technology Orange council should also consider whether far more streets in the CBD with parking restrictions could also be policed.
The common complaint that there is not enough parking spaces might be addressed, at least in part, if cars circulated through parking spaces strictly according to the time limits.