Whakatāne District Council will soon launch a trial of an electronic parking management system to improve parking warden safety.
The technology aims to protect parking staff from confrontational situations while also improving parking efficiency for residents and visitors.
Starting 7 April, a parking enforcement vehicle, equipped with license plate recognition technology, will be trialled for a six-week period.
The technology significantly reduces the need for wardens to engage in potentially confrontational situations that can put staff at risk of verbal and physical abuse.
"The safety of our parking wardens is our top priority," said Nancy Elliott, Acting Manager Community Regulation.
"Our parking staff often face challenging interactions with the public. This technology allows them to monitor parking compliance from inside their vehicles, minimising exposure to aggressive behaviour while still maintaining effective enforcement. The system also offers additional benefits like improved parking turnover for local businesses and more consistent enforcement."
While regular on-foot parking patrols will continue as usual during the trial period, no infringement notices will be issued from the trial technology. Instead, the system will collect data on parking patterns and potential violations to assess its effectiveness in enhancing staff safety while ensuring efficient parking management.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to continue to follow all parking regulations as usual.