Author Topic: 'How stupid can you get?' asks Cambridgeshire couple after CCTV gaffe  (Read 2549 times)

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Offline Web Admin

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'How stupid can you get?' asks Cambridgeshire couple after CCTV gaffe at Cambridge Retail Park

A couple were landed with the prospect of a £110 fine after being presented with CCTV evidence showing their white car entering a Cambridge car park and a black one leaving.

Malcolm and Julie Creek parked their white Ford Kuga for less than an hour at Cambridge Retail Park, but they have been issued with a penalty charge notice for staying more than five hours.

Total Parking Solutions (TPS) has relied on CCTV pictures that shows the Histon couple’s car arriving and a black Vauxhall with a similar number plate leaving. The couple say they have not heard back from the company since they pointed out the error on November 29.

Mr Creek said they arrived at about 1pm, went to an electrical shop before heading to Marks and Spencer for a coffee and then to Homebase and had driven out the park by 2pm.

The 69-year-old, who worked as Addenbrooke’s assistant estates manager until he retired, thinks many people will be so worried by how high the fines go, which starts at £45 and goes up to £110, at they would pay the fine.

The former Sawston Village College pupil said: “How stupid can you get? The car’s a different colour to start with. I worked at Addenbrooke’s and I worked with all the high voltage electrics and if I got it wrong I’d have killed someone.”

“I think it’s absolutely shocking. My mother would read that and be so scared about the escalation of fines she would pay it and I think a lot of people would. People are trying to go about their Christmas shopping and they get this sort of treatment. I’m sure the retail park will be cross about this. It’s going to put people off visiting. It’s put us off.”

“Total Parking Solutions? More like Total Parking Confusion.”

Mrs Creek, who works at the International Whaling Commission, which is based in Impington, got to the crux of the issue in her letter to TPS.

She said: “The picture of the car exiting the retail park is not my car as it appears a dark car whereas my car is white.”

A spokesman for TPS said: “It appears that in this instance the ANPR camera misread the exit plate by one letter due to the dirty condition of the plate. The two plates were almost identical, as a result of misreading a letter on exit, it was flagged as an overstay by the ANPR matching engine."

He added it was a “very uncommon occurrence” and said: “We are sending Julie and Malcolm Creek our sincere apologies coupled with a £20 high street voucher for them to spend at the retail site for the inconvenience caused in this instance.”



http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/stupid-asks-Cambridgeshire-motorist-CCTV-gaffe/story-25741123-detail/story.html

Offline 2b1ask1

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Re: 'How stupid can you get?' asks Cambridgeshire couple after CCTV gaffe
« Reply #1 on: 22 December, 2014, 01:01:53 PM »
And we expect the voucher to arrive???
Willing to do my bit...

Offline Kill Switch

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Re: 'How stupid can you get?' asks Cambridgeshire couple after CCTV gaffe
« Reply #2 on: 22 December, 2014, 06:20:44 PM »
And we expect the voucher to arrive???

What are you suggesting, I have every confidence it'll arrive, after all, PPC's are as honest as the day is long, they have a long history of dealing with "customers" in an honest and.............. oh, I see your point!
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice


Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: 'How stupid can you get?' asks Cambridgeshire couple after CCTV gaffe
« Reply #3 on: 23 December, 2014, 11:21:26 AM »
This story only goes to show that not only does the cctv/anpr not work properly (figures suggest it is only 70% efficient), but the system is not monitored by a human being parking wea$el. It is clear that the whole system is automated and that a computer spits out parking charge notices without any human parking wea$el intervention.

And these human beings parking wea$els recently lobbied government in an attempt to persuade them to allow the use of cctv/anpr in council car parks.

Fat chance if this is an example of how efficient the system is.

WE ARE WATCHING YOU

Offline BGB

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Re: 'How stupid can you get?' asks Cambridgeshire couple after CCTV gaffe
« Reply #4 on: 23 December, 2014, 11:27:50 AM »
It is worth noting that there would have been two "errors" here.

1) The system missing the victim's car leaving.

2) The system misreading another vehicles's registration.

Offline Web Admin

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Re: 'How stupid can you get?' asks Cambridgeshire couple after CCTV gaffe
« Reply #5 on: 23 December, 2014, 11:36:00 AM »
Further to the Bald Eagle's post , and for the sake of completeness, here is the document where the BPA Ltd lobbied govt.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert Goodwill MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary for the
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London SW1 4DR
 
30th September 2014


Dear Minister

Local Authority Car Park Enforcement

A number of BPA members have passed to me a copy of your letter dated 16th September to them relating to the above.

As you know, the BPA has been referring to this issue for the past two years in conversations with yourself, your predecessor and, on a regular basis, your officials.  We have pointed out on numerous occasions concerns that we and local authorities have regarding the current state of parking legislation and the fact that it does not adequately provide for the emergence of new technologies and, specifically, the opportunity for local authorities to use automatic number plate recognition systems  in managing their car parks.

Your government legitimised the use of ANPR in car parks managed in the private parking sector through the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.  Consequently, ANPR is used on an increasingly regular basis in that sector, which benefits operators being able to deliver cost savings to their clients as well as provide services to users.  One simple example of how ANPR can benefit users is that disabled drivers can reserve spaces in car parks which operate ANPR in advance and the operator can ensure that, when the vehicle driven by the disabled driver enters the car park, their vehicle registration plate is recognised and they are authorised to park without paying or can used a space reserved for them.  It does seem to me that these opportunities should be afforded to the local authority sector. 

We are not just talking about enforcement here but improving customer service and ANPR provides significant opportunities for all car park operators, including local authorities, to better manage their car parks to the advantage of users, and also to reduce operating costs. I am sure your officials will have informed you that this is why many local authorities have been exploring ways of managing their car parks using alternative powers: namely they are keen to improve their offer and reduce their costs and yet the relationship between Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the TMA 2004 give rise to uncertainties. It might also explain the reluctance of the remaining non-CPE Councils to ‘switch’ because these can be more confident about using new technologies under the RTRA 1984.

I am not condoning any local authority that acts unlawfully in management of its car parking stock, and of course local authorities must comply with the law as it stands.  I would, though, ask your Department to consider implementing a simple change which could be effected through the Deregulation Bill currently passing through Parliament, to enable local authorities to use “approved devices” in car parks where there are clear customer service improvements such as improving access for disabled people; making it easier for motorists to park now and pay later; or to help operators to manage space better for their users.  This, I feel sure, will address the current difficulties that local authorities face in trying to manage their car parking stock more effectively and in the best interests of their customers. 

As always, I am very happy to explain the background to these issues with you or your officials, or indeed to arrange for them to be shown a car park using ANPR in action to appreciate its value.  I do believe, though, that car park operators have a social responsibility to ensure that their customers both understand this technology and support its use, and perhaps you might consider that if there is a case for amending legislation to enable the use of this new technology, that there is very clear guidance put in place to ensure that local authorities achieve these outcomes should they embrace them. The BPA would be pleased to help create that guidance, too.

Yours sincerely

Patrick Troy
Chief Executive

 


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