New number plate enforcement cameras introduced by York Police

North Yorkshire Poanpr cameralice has stepped up the fight against travelling criminals with the introduction of a new generation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

As part of a £1m investment in ANPR announced last year, the first phase of the new, moveable cameras – known as re-deployable cameras – has been rolled out across North Yorkshire.

The cameras use the very latest technology which produces enhanced images and the ability to capture distinguishing marks on a vehicle.

North Yorkshire Police are the first police force in the UK to use this model of ANPR camera.

ANPR works by reading the registration number of a vehicle, and after checking the number against a database of information, will issue an alarm if the vehicle is linked to criminality.

It is used by the police to prevent and detect crime, as part of ongoing investigations, post-incident investigations, as well as helping in the search for vulnerable missing people, wanted criminals and to target uninsured and untaxed vehicles. 

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Lendal Bridge – camera use suspended?

Camera

Claims have been made that the use of the ANPR cameras, to enforce traffic restrictions on Lendal Bridge and Coppergate, has been suspended.

The Council would have had little choice but to do this as, if having received independent advice that their use was unlawful, the Council could have faced maladministration claims from any drivers who received PCNs.

The Council have refused to say whether PCNs have ben issued over the last 2 days using ANPR evidence.

The Council have, however, said that the traffic order has not been revoked and the signage is still visible. That means that a uniformed police officer could, in theory, try to enforce the restrictions.

The traffic adjudicator yesterday also highlighted other flaws in the Councils management of the restrictions, so any PCN would be likely to be rescinded on appeal.

The Council Leader has now belatedly decided to blame Council officials for the fiasco.

He has asked the Chief Executive to undertake an internal review the matter, describing the Councils actions as “not to a standard that I would expect”.

Given that the Chief Executive and Council Leader work hand in hand on a daily basis this particular piece of political camouflage is unlikely to fool anyone.

It is reminiscent of the comments made in Labour party Emails earlier in the year when they sought to distance themselves from the unpopular plans

An all party scrutiny committee should – meeting in public – undertake a proper review of what went wrong on a project that has seen the City being ridiculed across the whole country.

In the meantime the Lendal bridge trial should be suspended. The cameras in Coppergate should be switched off at least until they can be proven to be lawful. Enforcement of restrictions there should once again rest with the police.

Meanwhile the Lib Dem Leader says that the Council has “lost control of events”

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Police add new A64 site near Heslington to mobile speed camera locations

Mobile safety camera routes week commencing 20 November 2013
speed camara van

Below are the enforcement locations for North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety cameras for week commencing Wednesday 20 November 2013.

The safety cameras are now more visible then ever before with each of the three vehicles bearing the same hi-vis livery as North Yorkshire Police’s marked vehicle fleet.
All safety camera locations are published on the force website along with an explanation of the various route types.
Members of the public can now view the results of the safety camera enforcement activity on the force website.

Up to date data for the previous week is uploaded every Tuesday which can be interrogated by route and date ranges.

The mobile safety cameras will be in operation at the following sites at various times over the coming week.

Cameras will not be in use all day, every day. Due to operating constraints, our mobile safety camera locations may change without prior warning.

  • • A64 eastbound Tadcaster, by-pass
  • • A64 westbound Tadcaster, by-pass
  • • A64 eastbound, Islington, Tadcaster
  • • A64 westbound, Street Houses, Bilborough
  • • A64 Westbound, Wharfe Bridge, Tadcaster
  • • B1228 Dunnington, Lodge Elvington
  • • Tadcaster Road, Dringhouses, York
  • • Strensall Road, Huntington, York
  • • Church Lane, Wheldrake
  • • Millfield Lane, Poppleton York
  • • Towthorpe Road, Haxby
  • • Greenshaw Drive, Haxby
  • • A64 eastbound, Heslington, York
  • • A64 westbound, Heslington, York

Click for full list

Lendal Bridge cameras – high fault levels Council admits

CCTV-Camera-300x224

A Freedom of information request has revealed that the ANPR restriction enforcement cameras on Lendal Bridge were not working for long periods in late September and early October.

This will come as little consolation to the increasing number of visitors to the City who are being caught out by bus lane cameras.

Many are using this web site to vent their concerns.

Some say that they will never return to York.

Others are just bemused by the poor signage of the restrictions.

The Council has still not published its assessment report for October

The Council says that, “for technical reasons the cameras on Lendal Bridge were not operational in one or both directions on the following dates”.

  • 13/09/2013
  • 21/09/2013
  • 22/09/2013
  • 23/09/2013
  • 29/09/2013
  • 30/09/2013
  • 01/10/2013
  • 05/10/2013
  • 06/10/2013
  • 07/10/2013
  • 08/10/2013

Lendal Bridge and Coppergate penalty income revealed by York Council. 11,177 fined!

The Council have belatedly published details of the numbers of drivers who have fallen foul of the number plate recognition cameras installed on Lendal Bridge and in Coppergate.

In total during August and September 11,177 drivers were sent penalty charge notices.

This would generate over £600,000 in income for the Council in just 5 weeks.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge


Some fines might be reduced for drivers who pay up quickly or who successfully appeal against the notice.

The penalty charge notice numbers are divided fairly evenly between Coppergate and Lendal Bridge although the figures for the latter are only for 3 weeks.

But it is a staggering amount and confirmation of the inadequacy of the signage marking the new restrictions on Coppergate as well as the trial day time closure of Lendal Bridge to private motorists.

The data is contained in an obscure part of the Council web site and has not been officially publicised.

Apparently the web page will be updated monthly.

The figures show no sign of a downturn in the numbers of motorists being caught, so the Councils annual income from the cameras is likely to be several millions each year.

It is much more than would have been raised by putting a congestion charge on the bridge and they do suggest that “road pricing” is what the Labour Council really wants to introduce next.

The publication of the information follows the tabling of a question on the subject at last weeks Council meeting by a Liberal Democrat Councillor.

Detailed information, on the reductions in the number of shoppers accessing the City centre, is still awaited.

A report on the first month of the trial, previously published by the Council, admitted that there had been no significant improvement in journey times for buses – one of the major objectives of the trial