Parking sensors malfunction
More than a quarter of New Plymouth’s 1600 parking sensors are on the fritz and having to be switched off, less than two years after they were installed.
‘‘A technical glitch means we can’t guarantee the sensors’ batteries are working as they should,’’ New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) group manager community and customer services, Teresa Turner, said in a statement.
As a result, 440 of the sensors are being turned off.
‘‘We’re deactivating them as a precautionary measure in the interest of public safety.’’
The exact details of the malfunction have not yet been revealed.
However, the council did say it was not the first time the sensors had failed – earlier this month, the supplier had to replace 62.
A second incident of a similar nature occurred earlier this week, the statement added.
‘‘We’ll be working hard to make sure the supplier covers the cost of these incidents,’’ Turner said.
However, drivers have been warned not to expect free parking in the city as a result of the problem.
The location of the malfunctioning sensors has not been revealed, and parking rules will continue to be enforced.
‘‘The parking rules are still the same and our parking team will still be out checking.’’
Mayor Neil Holdom said the sensors had ‘‘failed and broken’’ and had come apart.
‘‘I think it’s important that the vendor stands behind their product and pays for any disruption for the service and any loss of revenue.
‘‘It seems that the vendor is working to stand behind their product and sticking to the contract, which is appropriate and something that we expect.’’
Holdom said this would mean that ratepayers would not have to mop up the cost.
‘‘My understanding is that they have been very responsive to this issue, as they should be.’’
In 2012, 1600 sensors and 90 pay machines were installed at a cost of $1.2 million.
However, five years later it was discovered that the sensors on the ground and the communication controllers that bounce the sensor signal to the parking officers’ hand-held devices needed to be replaced.
As a result, in January 2019, 1500 of the on-road sensors in the central city were replaced at a cost of $800,000.