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Ken Livingstone plans to extend ANPR to cover the whole of London within the M25

Thanks to an email correspondent for alerting us to the Mayor Of London Ken Livingstone's latest mass surveillance plans. He is proposing Yet Another Automatic Number Plate Recognition system, which will snoop on every vehicle entering or leaving the Greater London within the M25 orbital motorway, this time, under the pretext of enforcing a Low Emission Zone, to curb some diesel engine pollution, starting in 2008.

There are still unanswered questions about the controversial and privacy invasive London Congestion Charge scheme and its Westward Extension, ,

See "M25 Low Emission Zone - another ANPR surveillance snooping scheme"

Low Emission Zone Consultation

Frequently Asked Questions

This will cover all the 33 London Boroughs within the M25, but not the M25 itself, and will seek to limit particulate carbon air pollutants , which are mostly produced by pre-2001 vintage diesel engined lorries etc. through Yet Another Automatic Number Plate Recognition enforced system of fees (£100 to £200 a day) and fines (£ 1000 or more).

Unlike the London Congestion Charge, presumably this LEZ scheme will need to be run 24/7 and at weekends.

"It is proposed that the LEZ would be enforced using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras similar to those used for Congestion Charging. Fixed cameras would be supplemented by mobile patrol units fitted with ANPR cameras"

Why have they chosen the most intrusive and privacy unfriendly "control freak" way of enforcing this anti-pollution policy ?

It is not possible for ANPR cameras to monitor just HGVs, they must pick up all vehicles. Surely there will be the temptation to feed this system into the controversial National ANPR Database, and to retain the traffic movement data on millions of innocent drivers for 2 to 6 years, or more ?

Posted by on February 3, 2006 8:10 AM |

Comments

Just returned from Darlington - they've got ANPR on all major routes into the town (but not out of the town!). This was installed at a cost to the council tax payer of £200,000 (£20,000 annual maintenance). One of the justifications is that "it will help to reduce anti-social behaviour". Oh yes, 'course it will!

Posted by: A Tench | March 11, 2006 6:05 PM

The Sunday Times has an article about CCTV cameras installed for anti-street crime purposes, actually being used as a "double parking" cash cow, using either ANPR or manual checks with the DVLA, by the local council - 2,500 fixed penalty notices from one camera !

Parsons asked Camden why a camera designed to stop muggings was being used to mug residents. He was told by Mark Roe, the council’s senior community safety officer and one of those who helps administer the scheme: “In order to sustain CCTV in Camden it is essential that funds are secured to monitor and maintain the system. Therefore, there is a reciprocal arrangement that all cameras may be used for traffic enforcement and all traffic enforcement cameras be used for community safety purposes.”

Nick Lester, the director of transport for the Association of London Government, which regulates the use of CCTV for traffic enforcement, justified the cameras on the grounds that they combat congestion. He said most cameras were set up by private contractors but pictures showing alleged motoring offences were checked by council employees and stored for evidence.

Posted by: wtwu | March 12, 2006 5:41 AM

The story from Camden certainly makes one's blood boil. These bumptious little Hitlers in local councils should be strung up on one of the spy camera poles. However, if this sort of behaviour contiues - as it undoubtedly will - then CCTV will be brought into disrepute more quickly than it otherwise might, and that's something to look forward to.

Posted by: A Tench | March 12, 2006 1:36 PM

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