Heard in the Hall

Parking Wars; PPA to photograph license plates of violators

Philadelphia ticket writers will soon be armed with a new scofflaw-tracking device: a camera.

4 comments

Parking Wars; PPA to photograph license plates of violators

POSTED: Tuesday, August 7, 2012, 3:42 PM

Amy Worden

Philadelphia ticket writers will soon be armed with a new scofflaw-tracking device: a camera.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority says its ticket writers will begin photographing the license plates of parking violators in an effort to address complaints from residents – and out-of-towners - who get notices of violations and say they were never in Philadelphia on the day the tickets was issued.

The news came out during questioning by lawmakers at a joint House/Senate transportation committee hearing Tuesday in Harrisburg. Several suburban Philadelphia lawmakers - and one from as far away as Pittsburgh - said their constituents have complained about getting tickets and threats of enforcement even though they were many miles away at the time.

Parking Authority deputy executive director Corinne O’Connor says while the number of complaints about wrongful tickets has dropped in recent years, the cameras will help establish whether in fact it was the violator’s car. She also said only about half of all license plates of illegally parked cars will be photographed based on the type of violation.

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4 comments

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Comments (4)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:51 PM, 08/07/2012

Philadelphia has a parking authority that is not geared to enforce the law but geared to extract money from the motoring public using parking violations as a guise.We live in a city,pay taxes,spend money to live.They restrict certain areas of parking and make you pay such as center city or for that fact most neighborhood business districts.Most places you go to bo business,or spend your money the city wants you to give them some in parking fees.You also are paying city sales tax when you make that purchase in that business district.That is why people get out of the city if they can..I got out.

— Andrew Grier

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:51 PM, 08/07/2012

— Andrew Grier

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:31 AM, 08/08/2012

they should take a picture of thier leader fenerty.follow him and see how he spends his day spending our tax dollars

— cityslicker

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:42 AM, 08/08/2012

The Parking Authority states that it is impracticable to streamline the appeals process to adjudicate disputes arising from tickets issued. On the other hand, they seem to be able to think "outside the box" and find the initiative and resources protect their interest re: questionable citations...

— TomTheCork