Australian parking meters call cops when time is up

Melbourne City Council expects to gain about $3 million more a year in parking fines thanks to newly approved in-ground sensors that will alert parking inspectors when drivers overstay their meters, The Age reports. The technology will be rolled out starting in July and should earn council almost $12 million over four years, even after the $5.48 million price tag for the new technology. A sensor records when a vehicle moves in and out of a spot and sends a message to the nearest inspector when a motorist stays more than five minutes too long. License plate recognition technology will also be introduced in residential areas.

The Age