Achi news desk-
A modern tool to enforce parking tickets is coming to Halifax Regional Municipality.
“It allows us much more, more efficiently, to check the license plate of a parked vehicle,” said HRM senior parking advisor Jeff Nephew.
If parked illegally, a photo of the car and license plate, with the location, will be sent to HRM compliance officers.
“And they’ll come out and investigate and write a ticket that’s needed,” said Nai.
If the vehicle owner moves the car before the ticket is issued?
“Nothing happens like that, no ticket.”
According to legal expert Wayne MacKay, taking the human element out of tickets raises privacy concerns, especially when it comes to the actual photos.
“Technology has made many things better in the world, but not everything,” MacKay said. “One of the questions is, what is being done with that?”
Nephew said the new program will include security protocols to protect privacy.
“He doesn’t recognize faces, he doesn’t recognize people walking by,” Nai added.
Cole Harbor resident Jim Ward said 21st century technology doesn’t make him nervous, but it feels like “big brother” is watching sometimes.
“It has been and it will be,” Ward said.
Driving school instructor Nomi Zafar would like to see this program expanded, and used as a police tool to take pictures of unsafe, or unregistered vehicles.
“It would be good for my safety, and other people’s,” said Zafar.
But Nai said that won’t happen. These cameras, installed on two HRM vehicles, will only be used for parking when this new program begins in June.
