Drivers are being warned of new technology that can catch parked cars which do not have a suitable permit, despite motoring organisations identifying potential concerns.
Portsmouth City Council said it would deploy a vehicle fitted with cameras that use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to check the plates of parked cars.
They can then check the vehicle against the local authority’s database to ensure it is able to park there, and if not, could be hit with fines.
A traffic warden will be alerted and will assess the situation if the number plate is found to not be compliant with local parking restrictions.
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The new vehicle technology will be used across Portsmouth in the summer
PA
A penalty charge notice can be issued, if necessary, although experts have urged councils to avoid using drivers as a way of raising money and filling a backlog of funding.
Portsmouth City Council said the new system would allow for a greater number of checks to take place in a shorter space of time and crack down on drivers parking illegally.
Drivers could be slapped with a penalty charge notice worth £70, although this will be cut to £35 if it is paid within 14 days.
The high-tech vehicle will also be able to spot if cars parked on the streets of the coastal city have valid Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “As with all such measures designed to benefit residents, the key question is whether those residents are genuinely happy with what’s being done.
“They need to demonstrate that their proposed measures are about managing traffic not balancing the books.
“Councils across the country are under budgetary pressure but must resist the temptation to see motorists as a way of filling in the financial black hole.”
He highlighted how Portsmouth City Council recorded a surplus – or “profit” – of around £4.6million in 2022/23 from parking charges alone.
Despite concerns from some experts, the scheme is set to take place in residential parking zones across Portsmouth in the summer.
Gerald Vernon-Jackson, cabinet member for transport at PCC, said the enforcement efforts were “crucial” as it expands its residential parking zones.
He heralded the “cutting-edge” technology, calling it a “significant leap forward” in managing parking zones in a fair way for residents.
While it is believed that the vehicles have not been used commonly for parking enforcement, the technology has been used to determine entry and exit times in car parks, as well as by National Highways calculating journey times.
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The technology uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology
PA
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for AA, said: "Residents’ parking permit schemes are designed to protect parking spaces outside homes from outsiders blocking them.
“From the AA’s point of view, the key considerations are that the cost of a permit should reflect the cost of providing the service and nothing more, and that the scheme is effective in deterring parking abuse. In that respect, technology may be helpful.”
