The West Street carpark is being added to the area currently under the trial of new Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) parking compliance technology.

No parking tickets are being issued by the technology while it is initially being trialled, but Council’s parking officers are still patrolling on foot and issuing tickets to parking offenders.

Group Manager of Compliance and Development Ian Hyde said the trial initially focused on Burnett, Cass, Tancred and East Streets.

“People might have seen the marked car driving around this block over the past few weeks and now we are going to be visiting other parts of the CBD, including the West Street car park, to test the equipment in different situations.

“During this first stage of the trial, we are still simply comparing what the cameras on the car see so that we can gather information about whether this new technology might work in Ashburton.”

Mr Hyde said the ANPR car had attracted some attention.

“No parking rules have changed and people visiting the CBD can still park free on East Street for an hour. We monitor parking and enforce the limits to ensure fair and considerate use, so that there is a consistent turnover of parks for shoppers.”

Following the full trial, a report on how or whether to proceed with implementing the technology will be presented to elected members for consideration.