ANPR query - are they all the same?

[Fat Richie]

Prompted by a question under "Yesterday's Heroes" about Gatsos reading black and silver plates (which I assume they do). My answer to the question was as follows:-

"Don't know about speed cameras but the local tip (sorry, recycling centre) has had an ANPR camera installed recently.

Went down shortly afterwards and message board greeted me with "Good afternoon L 61 PYA, welcome to Poole Recycling Centre", which is why I noticed the ANPR camera.

Went down this afternoon in our '67 Mini (black & silver plates) and got totally ignored by the camera".

So, are all ANPR units equal, or are some more equal than others?

[ThePassenger]

No, they aren't equal. The ones we were developing for petrol station forecourts had issues with bright yellow cars and rear plates. I've also seen systems that can read the plates off a bike but only at close range (point blank) or they get confused. I also once watched the software desperately try to read a lens flare and then a scratch. As with anything computer related it's the software in the computer that's the limitation.

Oddly enough Plod's ANPR kit doesn't appear to have these issues. I'm sure it has its quirks though, all software does.

[streaky]

Fat Richie said:

Went down shortly afterwards and message board greeted me with "Good afternoon L 61 PYA, welcome to Poole Recycling Centre", which is why I noticed the ANPR camera.

You might consider either a Data Subject Access request under the DPA regarding the data the council/recycling centre operator holds on you, or an FoI request for what type of data are held on visitors to the centre. This latter might usefully be issued by your local newspaper. Regardless, with the increase in media interest in what councils are recording of householders' waste disposal, the existance of a record of your trips to the recycling centre would be grist to the media mill - Streaky

[KenP]

streaky said:

Fat Richie said:

Went down shortly afterwards and message board greeted me with "Good afternoon L 61 PYA, welcome to Poole Recycling Centre", which is why I noticed the ANPR camera.

You might consider either a Data Subject Access request under the DPA regarding the data the council/recycling centre operator holds on you, or an FoI request for what type of data are held on visitors to the centre. This latter might usefully be issued by your local newspaper. Regardless, with the increase in media interest in what councils are recording of householders' waste disposal, the existance of a record of your trips to the recycling centre would be grist to the media mill - Streaky

Unlikely to be a violation of DPA which deals with the privacy of the individual and not that of objects like cars. As long as their records are confined to recording the vehicle registration number (plus time and date) they are in the clear.

[ashes]

Talk about Big Brother! So now they can track when you go to the tip. More than once a week = more money? What is this all about?

[herewego]

ashes said:

Talk about Big Brother! So now they can track when you go to the tip. More than once a week = more money? What is this all about?

It could be about identifying and charging commercial users.

[aw51 121565]

herewego said:

ashes said:

Talk about Big Brother! So now they can track when you go to the tip. More than once a week = more money? What is this all about?

It could be about identifying and charging commercial users.

What are they recording this info for??? I reckon they are watching for 'regular users' of several tips - being cynical, commercial/trade people disposing of their waste in a private car at several sites.

I have used the tip at Prestwich (Greater Manchester) on a regular basis, with a friend, for maybe 4 years - we load up his trailer and take the stuff to tip. But when we first used the tip at Bolton (5 miles away?) in March this year using the same trailer and cars (one of several Montegos - I know, I know ) we spotted one of the regular operatives from Prestwich - he recognised us also - who asked us if it was 'trade waste'. For goodness' sake .

And no, it's not trade waste - I was moving house and clearing the garage at the new place.

Lowest common denominator, that's what we are all treated as.

[Who me ?]

herewego said:

It could be about identifying and charging commercial users.

So after all this time ,the LAs have woken up to the fact that shops just change the escort van for an old volvo and take in the same rubbish.
The van is a commercial vehical, so by logic the waste is commercial, the car is non commercial ---etc