Nearly 4,000 drivers were hit with parking tickets after experimental AI cameras incorrectly identified they were blocking bus lanes.
Officials say the cameras were not properly programmed for the routes they were covering, leading to the awkward mix-up.
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AI cameras were launched earlier this year on some buses in New York City.
Plans are afoot to place these cameras on more than 1,020 buses by the end of the year.
Another 1,000 cameras are expected to be installed next year.
The scheme cost the city a staggering $83 million, with Hayden AI taking the contract.
An additional $58 million will be paid to Hayden AI to install its technology on an additional 1,000 buses, bringing the total price tag of the scheme to about $141 million.
But the cameras have so far missed violations for about 3,800 cars, NBC New York reported.
Of these, nearly 900 cars were parked legally.
Many drivers even received photos supposedly showing their violations that ended up proving they had done nothing wrong.
The MTA, which runs buses in the Big Apple, says a human reviews every quote provided by AI cameras.
An MTA spokesperson told the outlet that the cameras were not properly programmed for the routes they monitor.
On one road, cameras misidentified parked cars, and on the other, citations were issued where full enforcement had not yet begun.
Drivers receive a $50 fine for blocking a bus lane, with the fine increasing by $250 for each subsequent violation.
But the city says only a small percentage of violators get a second citation.
New York has already refunded drivers who paid and reversed citations.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets can be prevented by reading posted signs and adhering to them. However, when visiting a new city or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes made.
Suddenly, you have a ticket that you're not prepared to pay for. If the ticket came as a surprise to you, there are some things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Read the ticket carefully. Look for errors such as incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Hence errors will make the ticket invalid.
- Take pictures. for a vehicle in a parking spot, lack of signage, or other vehicles not cited for the same parking task. If the ticket involves parking near something like a fire hydrant, a photo that shows a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with time and date is accessible. Markers that are obstructed by trees, on bent poles, or that are not “obvious” are also great things to photograph.
- Make sure the law that was violated is listed on the ticket. If it is not listed, the ticket is invalid.
- Follow the appeal instructions on your ticket immediately. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the last minute weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases because they diminish your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn't know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can't buy this ticket.”
- “I've been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said it was fine.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you're running into roadblocks and feeling stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic attorney in your area. Many of them have free case consultations.
Source: Reader's Digest
The MTA says it has fixed a software issue that caused false citations to initiate.
“One of the purposes of the warning phase for newly activated routes is to resolve any issues before tickets are actually issued to anyone,” said Tim Minton, MTA communications director.
“In this case, there were kinks in the programming, both in the mapping of pavement areas and the timing of the warnings themselves – all of which have now been resolved.”
In defense of the scheme, the MTA says that since the ticketing system was launched, bus speeds have gone up about 5%.
More than 293,000 vehicles have been caught illegally blocking bus lanes so far this year, according to the New York City Department of Finance.
This represents a 570% increase from 2021, with the city's revenue from bus lane fines rising from $4.3 million annually to $20.9 million.
