PEOPLE parking in Fremantle can breathe a sigh of relief—the port city is abandoning a planned roll-out of parking sensors.

For a three-month trial the council installed sensors in 52 bays along High Street between Market and Cliff Streets. Rangers were beeped when free 30-minute limits were exceeded, making for easy pickings.

“The free trial undertaken by the city showed that while the sensors were useful, they didn’t completely meet our needs in terms of their monitoring effectiveness,” says council corporate services chief Glen Dougall. “A decision was therefore made not to proceed with them on High Street or to roll them out across other areas of Fremantle.”

The sensors are used in Cottesloe and Claremont: 195 devices cost Cottesloe $76,177, which was paid back in six months through extra infringements.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK