New 'spy cameras' could tackle illegal parking outside West Country schools
Councillors will meet today to decide whether to introduce the trial CCTV
Cameras could be installed across Bristol in the hopes of catching parents parking illegally while dropping off their kids at school.
Bristol City Councillors will meet today (5 December) to decide whether to introduce a trial of CCTV that can automatically read drivers’ number plates.
A report to the transport and connectivity policy committee said enforcement was difficult for many reasons, including the fact traffic wardens could not be at all 160 schools in the city and that drop-off and pick-up times were very short.
It said: “Increasing the number of civil enforcement officers is not a cost-effective solution, so officers have been exploring other technical opportunities.
“Camera enforcement is heavily restricted by legislation, but parking on ‘school keep clear’ markings, providing they are supported by a traffic regulation order, is one of the few interventions which can be enforced using camera technology.
“We already have a camera car that is used to patrol schools but there is potential to deploy fixed cameras on a rotational basis to target particularly problematic areas.”
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Derby City Council had been ‘very innovative’ in tackling the problem.
The report said: "“Officers would like to explore these options in more detail by talking to Derby City Council to better understand their experience and then develop an appropriate procurement approach."
It said the cost of the scheme was based on an initial trial of four cameras.