A new cashless parking system rolled out in the city’s more up-market suburbs has sparked a wave of criticism, with many drivers accusing it of being invasive and overly complicated.
North Sydney Council introduced the system in July, requiring motorists to download an app, create an account, and provide personal information before they’re given the right to legally park their car.
Drivers have already expressed serious frustration with the process, saying it requires an unnecessary level of detail as opposed to the old system of plonking some spare change in the meter.
But the times have changed, with Sydneysiders now being required to share their full name, phone number, car registration, and credit card details among others.
As if that weren’t enough, an 8.25 per cent surcharge is added on every transaction when paying through either the Touch N Go boxes or the Pay Stay app.
Talkback radio host Ben Fordham weighed in on the controversy, criticising the confusion caused by the council’s rollout.
“The old parking meters are still there with garbage bags over the top of them and masking tape going around them,” he said, pointing out the lack of clarity for drivers.
Some drivers said they believed they could park for free, only to later discover they were supposed to use the new confusing system.
One listener named Jody detailed her frustrating experience, slamming the council for making the process hard on older people who aren’t used to phone apps.
“What happened to anonymously chucking a coin in a meter and getting on with your day?” she wrote.
“When did it become so complicated and time-consuming just to park the car?”
Others echoed these sentiments, venting on social media about how parking had become unnecessarily difficult.
“Whatever happened to just dropping a few coins in the meter? The whole system is a joke – and we’re the punchline,” one local commented.
He added that the council’s promotion of the system as environmentally friendly and solar-powered did little to ease the frustration of those struggling to navigate it.
Liberal candidate for North Sydney Council Jessica Keen, admitted that she had found the system difficult to use.
“I was on council for four years and I sat on traffic committee, so I’m very across parking meters and I was also like Jody trying to work it out,” she said via the Daily Mail.
Despite serving on the council for four years and being familiar with parking systems, she shared that she also struggled to figure it out.
One of the most glaring issues raised is the exclusion of those who do not carry mobile phones.
Some listeners pointed out that without a phone, they wouldn’t be unable to park their cars at all under the new system.
In response to the backlash, a spokesman for North Sydney Council explained that drivers have three payment options: through parking meters, Touch N Go boxes, or the PayStay app.
Source; News.com.au
