Residents fed up with an illegal parking law in their suburb have taken matters into their own hands by informing their neighbors via an app.
Several locals have been driven crazy by the number of parked cars blocking the sidewalks in Tapping, north of Perth.
They have decided to take the drastic step of photographing the vehicle and then uploading the incriminating images to the Snap Send and Solve app.
The city council is then alerted to the matter and a fine is imposed on the owner of the illegally parked vehicle.
Local Kevin West said cars parked on sidewalks are a nightmare for residents who use the sidewalk.
Fed up Perth residents have cracked down on cars blocking footpaths (pictured), informing their neighbors who have committed the act of illegal parking using a popular app.
“Basically, the road is blocked,” he told 9News.
‘You have to walk. You either have to pass on the left side of the vehicle or, alternatively, you have to physically merge into traffic.’
West urged motorists to be mindful of pedestrians who have the right to use the trail.
“Just do the right thing, trails exist for a purpose,” he said.
Around 6,000 illegal parking reports have been made in Perth using the app so far this year, an increase of 61 per cent on 2023.
Snap Send and Solve chief executive Danny Gorog said illegal parking unnecessarily increases congestion on roads.
“Perth in particular is a very car-centric city and obviously as more people drive it’s increasingly difficult to find places to park,” he said.
Drivers have also reported incidents of motorists who have left their vehicles abandoned (photo) or who have parked their cars in spaces for the disabled.
The Snap Send and Save app allows residents to take photos of irregularities they have seen in their neighborhood and send these images to local councils to solve the problem (stock image)
Illegal parking is the most reported issue on the app, which is only available to residents in Australia and New Zealand.
Between January and April more than 40,000 reports were made across Australia.
Motorists reported 3,138 incidents of illegal parking in New South Wales in May.
Residents have also posted photographs of abandoned cars and vehicles illegally parked in disabled parking spaces.
Gorog said the increase in illegal parking could be due to a lack of parking spaces or the cost of finding a parking spot.
Driving or parking on a sidewalk is illegal and motorists will be fined for the violation.
Queensland drivers will lose three demerit points and receive a payout of $361.
Motorists in New South Wales face a similar penalty, while drivers in the ACT could be forced to pay $307.
