JOONDALUP Health Campus may install a boom gate, which would allow visitors to pay for parking as they leave the hospital and eliminate infringement notices for expired tickets.
Chief executive Kempton Cowan said Ramsay Health would look at the new system as a priority in response to community feedback from Joondalup MLA Tony O’Gorman at a meeting last Wednesday.
“A boom gate was not installed when paid parking was first introduced due to emergency vehicle access issues,” Mr Cowan said.
“However, during redevelopment works, the hospital may have an opportunity to redesign the car park to support a boom gate infrastructure.”
More than 5500 people have signed Connolly resident Tom Sewell’s petition seeking abolition of paid parking, which was introduced early last year to stop visitors to surrounding businesses from parking in hospital bays.
Mr Sewell said that while a boom gate would help, it was not the overall solution.
“It would be far better to take out parking payments initially and see how it works,” he said.
“If it is apparent (the free system) is being abused, then they can look at a boom gate.
“I also want Joondalup council to relinquish all administration (of the hospital’s paid parking system) because it is nothing to do with them.”
However, Mr Cowan said all major metropolitan hospitals used paid parking to ensure bays were available to patients and visitors.
“Parking at JHC costs $1.50 an hour, or part thereof, which is within the range of the rates charged at other Perth hospitals,” he said.
“Due to the redevelopment works, the hospital has lost over 300 staff parking bays and, as a result, all day staff must choose alternative means of travelling to work.” He said the hospital had leased bays from Arena Joondalup and Edith Cowan University and two shuttle buses to transport staff.
A Travel Smart program offered staff rewards for those who used public transport, cycled or car-pooled.
“JHC is constantly working with planners, researchers and the City of Joondalup to ensure the parking infrastructure is viable,” he said.
“Public feedback is welcome and the hospital has an established community consultative committee to enable such proposals arising from the community to be evaluated.”
Mr O’Gorman, who is on the community committee, said the boom gate system was a good compromise.
“I do not think we can go back to free parking because if we do, it will just fill up with people avoiding paid parking,” he said.