An alarming number of parents have been caught ignoring traffic rules around school zones and putting children’s’ safety at risk.

And some parents have been nabbed, over and over again.

The offences were all detected during a recent trial by the City of Canterbury Bankstown using smart camera technology and artificial intelligence outside three local schools.

The trials at Punchbowl Public, St Joseph’s Primary and Condell Park Public, focussed on stopping in no stopping zones; parking longer than the allotted time; double parking; driving over double lines (illegal U-turns); and opening car doors in the middle of travel lanes.

The trials, which tested several different types of technology, found that:

34 per cent of drivers were detected violating road rules at Punchbowl Public School; and
64 per cent of violations at St Joseph’s Primary School, occurred around 7am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the trials had nothing to do with revenue-raising and were aimed at increasing the safety of children and the wider community.

“The trial results have given us a very clear picture of what is happening around our schools and the statistics are quite concerning,” Mayor Asfour said.

“I’m disappointed at the high number of parents who are doing the wrong thing.

“We have all at some stage or another parked where we shouldn’t have but some people detected in these trials were serial offenders.”

Mayor Asfour said the trial did reveal some positives.

“The presence of the mobile cameras did get parents thinking about other alternatives like car-pooling and walking to school if they lived close enough,” Mayor Asfour said.

“I think the evidence is clear and I am calling on the State Government to examine rolling out this technology, in particular around schools that have a high traffic volume.

“This isn’t about revenue raising, it’s about the safety of our children.”

The project was grant-funded by the NSW Government’s Stronger Communities Fund and is one of the pathways Council is investigating to become a Smart City, using technology and innovation in an effective way for residents.

For more information on Council’s Smart Cities program, visit cb.city/smartcities