The roving Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is able to assist officers with a number of enforcement-related tasks, like tracking motorists with outstanding warrants, but also identifying duplicate or cloned licence plates.

The City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service continues to employ technology where possible to boost its enforcement efforts.

Already in use are handheld devices, linked to an application, that allow officers to expedite the issuing of fines by collating the information electronically.

The devices can also scan a licence plate or the vehicle disc, immediately indicating the status of the vehicle and whether there are fines linked to the licence plate.

Officers also have access to Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology in some of their vehicles, which allows them to scan the licence plates of vehicles around them while in transit.

‘These ANPR equipped vehicles mean fewer traffic stops, and focusing instead on those vehicles that are flagged by the system. It also helps with identifying cloned or duplicate licence plates, which are a growing concern, outstanding summonses and outstanding warrants. Many motorists have had the unfortunate experience of an administrative nightmare, because someone else is using the same licence plate and racking up fines or committing crime,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

In the past two months, the Traffic Service received 445 complaints about duplicated number plates.

Of these, 203 cases have been finalised, with the remainder (242) still under investigation.

‘The ANPR technology allows us to detect whether the licence plate matches the vehicle, and if not, officers are able to stop the driver, escort the vehicle to the traffic department, and investigate the circumstances to determine whether it is an accidental duplication of plates, or something more sinister,’ added Alderman Smith.

The Traffic Service records thousands of transgressions on a weekly basis.

For the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, officers made:

1 930 arrests for drunk driving and reckless & negligent driving

impounded 6 688 public transport vehicles

impounded 3 043 cellphones

recorded more than 2.6 million offences

‘Sadly, many of the fines for these offences go unpaid for various reasons, which in turn results in large numbers of warrants of arrest. Technology like the ANPR cameras is useful in tracking down scofflaws. We have a culture of non-payment and disregard for law and order, and holding people accountable for their actions is one way of ensuring improved behaviour on our roads, and saving lives,’ said Alderman Smith.

Source: City Of Cape Town