[LINK] Hidden device in parking bays

Ivan Trundle ivan at itrundle.com
Tue Nov 28 13:57:11 AEDT 2006


On 28/11/2006, at 1:30 PM, Gordon Keith wrote:

> On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:12, Paul McGowan wrote:
>> Having read the article, it occurred to me that the same devices
>> could be used to make the council into heroes _and_ fix the traffic
>> problem by erecting signs advising motorists that they can be warned
>> when the time was nearly up by sending an SMS to a particular number.
>
> Unfortunately SMS is not guaranteed to be delivered in a reasonable  
> time
> frame.
>
> Who bears the cost if the SMS takes 4 hours to get from the council  
> machine to
> the motorist?
>
> It wouldn't take many late SMS's with fines to make the motorist  
> unhappy.
> Council isn't going to forego revenue because the motorist claims  
> they didn't
> get the message.
> Teleco don't guarantee SMS delivery.
>
> Nice idea, but would it work?

And for those of us who do not have or use SMS in their daily lives?

I read an article (some time ago) that demonstrated parking meters  
with cameras, which then used its OCR abilities to read the number  
plate, and begin timing the parking period from the moment that it  
was able to get a fix on the plate. Quite simply, it not only was  
capable of determining the exact time of a car's park, but also to  
issue a fine the moment that a vehicle overstayed, with the added  
'bonus' of being able to detect that a vehicle was parking or  
stopping in the same spot twice in a 24-hour period, and thus issuing  
a fine on the spot. In other words, a much greater comprehension of  
what a vehicle was actually doing in any 24-hour period. Of course,  
it was also suggested that it would be possible to link all of these  
meters together, so that even finer control over parking conditions  
could be exercised, if warranted.

I'm all for it, personally. Parking restrictions are generally in  
place for good reason. It's all a matter of equity.

iT




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