Now drivers face parking patrol teams equipped with ?500 head-cams
This is Robowarden, the latest weapon in the war against the motorist.
He is equipped with a ?500 head-mounted digital video camera to snare motorists parked illegally.
He also has a hand-held computer which hooks into the DVLA and automatically recognises car registration details. Then it prints out a ticket.
Heads up: Wardens are now equipped with head-mounted digital video cameras to ticket motorists caught parking illegally
Councils say the equipment provides more details and helps motorists who want to appeal against their penalties.
But critics accuse wardens of ?playing James Bond? and using ?intrusive and unfair? surveillance techniques.
An exclusive Daily Mail survey has shown how councils, which make millions from parking tickets every year, are buying expensive new equipment to maximise their revenue from drivers.
Bromley Council in South-East London is believed to be one of the first to use head-cams to issue parking tickets. It has bought 30 for its wardens.
The council says the devices can be used to record evidence of ?verbal abuse? by motorists who have been ticketed.
Its annual parking report says: ?Head-cams complement more traditional methods of recording details, such as pocket book notes and photographs.
?The footage has improved communication with motorists and the general public.
?The footage provides us with more details of a parking contravention and we are therefore better prepared to assure fairness, transparency and accountability in the appeal process and in dealing with complaints.?
Bromley, like dozens of other councils, also uses vehicle-mounted cameras to record cars parked illegally. Around 54 such cars are patrolling around the country and are thought to have generated more than ?8million fines in a year.
Daniel Hamilton, of the campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: ?This type of surveillance is both intrusive and unfair.
?Our local council officials should stop pretending to be James Bond.?
A spokesman for Bromley council said: ?We use head-cams to gather additional evidence which might not be recorded in the parking attendant?s notes.
?This has allowed us to cancel penalty charge notices issued in error and handle queries better.
?The hand-held computers can read car number plates and this can help reduce the numbers of incorrectly issued parking fines.?
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...head-cams.html
This is Robowarden, the latest weapon in the war against the motorist.
He is equipped with a ?500 head-mounted digital video camera to snare motorists parked illegally.
He also has a hand-held computer which hooks into the DVLA and automatically recognises car registration details. Then it prints out a ticket.
Heads up: Wardens are now equipped with head-mounted digital video cameras to ticket motorists caught parking illegally Councils say the equipment provides more details and helps motorists who want to appeal against their penalties.
But critics accuse wardens of ?playing James Bond? and using ?intrusive and unfair? surveillance techniques.
An exclusive Daily Mail survey has shown how councils, which make millions from parking tickets every year, are buying expensive new equipment to maximise their revenue from drivers.
Bromley Council in South-East London is believed to be one of the first to use head-cams to issue parking tickets. It has bought 30 for its wardens.
The council says the devices can be used to record evidence of ?verbal abuse? by motorists who have been ticketed.
Its annual parking report says: ?Head-cams complement more traditional methods of recording details, such as pocket book notes and photographs.
?The footage has improved communication with motorists and the general public.
?The footage provides us with more details of a parking contravention and we are therefore better prepared to assure fairness, transparency and accountability in the appeal process and in dealing with complaints.?
Bromley, like dozens of other councils, also uses vehicle-mounted cameras to record cars parked illegally. Around 54 such cars are patrolling around the country and are thought to have generated more than ?8million fines in a year.
Daniel Hamilton, of the campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: ?This type of surveillance is both intrusive and unfair.
?Our local council officials should stop pretending to be James Bond.?
A spokesman for Bromley council said: ?We use head-cams to gather additional evidence which might not be recorded in the parking attendant?s notes.
?This has allowed us to cancel penalty charge notices issued in error and handle queries better.
?The hand-held computers can read car number plates and this can help reduce the numbers of incorrectly issued parking fines.?
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...head-cams.html
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