'Alien' charging cams on way

They look like something from War of the Worlds, but these are new 'friendly' roadside cameras. The Italian-designed units are already on trial in Southwark, London, and could be rolled out to other cities planning to introduce a "tag-and-beacon" congestion charging scheme.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Julie Sinclair

14th February 2006

Norway-based toll technology expert Q-Free commissioned the designs from a Milan studio in a bid to modernise road charging after the British Government said it wanted local authorities to adopt the traffic tax to cut congestion.

An essential part of the charging scheme, the new slim poles should be more acceptable to conservationists and less aggressive to drivers than the overhead gantries and cameras mounted on pole tops currently being used.

Meanwhile, traffic police will have more chance of catching uninsured drivers after an update to the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) database, which carries number plates of vehicles with cover. The system will now automatically flag up cars which have recently disappeared from the database when officers run a plate search. Until recently, police had to check the register manually if they suspected a driver was uninsured.

The new monthly updates alert traffic officers electronically via their automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) roadside cameras and software. "This prioritises, stops and targets those motorists who are most likely to be driving uninsured," said a spokesman for the MIB.

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