An app to zap the parking police

Sydney:  Massive parking fines inspired one Australian man to create an iPhone app that lets users warn each other when parking officers are spotted lurking near their cars.

"The idea was pretty much born out of frustration," said Joseph Darling of "ParkPatrol," the app developed by his Sydney-based firm to help users avoid tickets that cost what he said was at least 82 Australian dollars (Dh297.6) a shot — and often more.

"I could show you a list of maybe 20 to 30 parking tickets that I had last year, in my town, just by being a normal driver. I must have spent thousands of dollars."

The final straw came when he was ticketed in his own neighbourhood despite a parking permit that he pays hundreds of dollars for each year. The app lets users "sign in" and report sightings of parking officers with a single push of a button.

Cartoon faces wearing a police cap then appear plotted on a map of the area. The free app will also alert users if a parking officer is spotted in their area with options for 500, 200 and 100 metres.

Would you use such an app? Do you think this will encourage people not to pay their parking fees? Let us know.