BATHURST Regional Council has admitted to being a bit more "conservative" when it comes to handing out parking fines in recent months.
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The number of parking fines issued in Bathurst since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is significantly lower than what is typically seen.
While the lockdown measures that have kept many people at home are an obvious contributor, council rangers are also being more lenient when they come across infringements.
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A motorist told the Western Advocate that they returned to their car to find a ticket on their windscreen, but upon closer inspection found it was a warning notice.
Council's general manager David Sherley said that it wasn't uncommon for warnings to be issued, but acknowledged that council is taking steps at the moment to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on residents.
"Whilst it is not uncommon for council to issue a warning notice to people who have over-stayed a timed parking spot if it is a first offence and the parking infringement is not considered to be causing a dangerous situation, council has taken a very conservative approach to fines during that period due to the impact of COVID-19 on the community," he said.
According to Revenue NSW, between the start of March and the end of June there were 302 infringement notices issued by Bathurst Regional Council, with a total value of nearly $75,000.
Of those fines, 245 were handed out in March, but as the pandemic evolved, the number of fines issued in each month to the end of the financial year was 24 or less.
In the same period in the 2018-19 financial year, there were 731 fines issued, and even more than that (882) in the 2017-18 financial year.
Mr Sherley pointed to changes in parking habits as the reason for the significant drop in parking fines towards the end of 2019-20.
"The number of parking fines in March to June was impacted by less people parking in the CBD and an increased availability of parking," he said.
The number of parking fines being issued in the new financial year by council continues to remain low.
In July and August there were 35 and 29 fines issued respectively, compared to 212 and 140 in 2019 and 179 and 212 in 2018.
Mr Sherley said revenue from parking fines is used by council to offset the costs of its regulatory services.
"Parking restrictions are also important in ensuring a regular turn-over for car parking spaces in the CBD," he said.
