New parking enforcement technology

Posted on Monday May 29, 2017
Vehicle with camera 2
Camera on vehicle

On May 29, the City began using new parking enforcement technology that scans licence plates. The system allows City by-law officers to cover a larger area in a shorter period of time and should result in more available short-term parking availability in core areas.

How it works

  • The vehicle is equipped with four cameras mounted on top and on the sides.
  • The cameras automatically take images of licence plates in all directions.
  • The software in an on-board computer records the number, the precise location, date and time these vehicles were parked on the street.
  • When the by-law vehicle later returns to the same street and scans the licence plate numbers of parked vehicles, the system will buzz if a vehicle has been parked in the same location longer than the permitted time.
  • The by-law officer later reviews the data and issues tickets as appropriate. 

Ensuring privacy

  • The City has a privacy policy in place for the program to ensure only the licence plate numbers of parked vehicles are scanned. 
  • At the end of each day, the by-law officer will review the photos, and if any images of individuals are found, they are removed.