The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has rolled out Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway.
“We are introducing the basic short-range cameras at all the tollgates along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway which will recognise the number plate of an exempted car approaching the tollgate at a speed of 70km per hour”
Moses Chigonyati, ZINARA Technical Director (via News Day)
The Automatic Number Plate Recognition system is used for a number of reasons. The United Kingdom’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for example, uses them to process passing traffic to identify vehicles of interest to the authority. This helps the DVSA to target which vehicles to stop and check for unlicensed drivers or untested vehicles.
In our case, ZINARA will be using the technology to automatically process exempted vehicles and residents who have discounts.
Once a camera picks up the plates it then relays that information to a database and if the vehicle meets the criteria the boom gate automatically opens. On top of the ANPR cameras being deployed along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway, the technology was said to be already in use at the Norton tollgate and the rollout program to other tollgates is well underway.
“The long-range cameras recognise cars that will be moving at a speed of 160km per hour so we settled for the short-range camera on the understanding that no motorist will approach a tollgate at a speed of 160km per hour. The biggest advantage of this system is that toll collectors will no longer go out of the booth to physically verify if the vehicle is exempted or not and, they do not need to scan an exemption coupon physically on the document scanner. This is going to shorten the transacting time at the tollgate.”
Moses Chigonyati, ZINARA Technical Director
Furthermore, the system will also reduce the toll booth operators needing to physically scan expired exemption coupons. The ANPR cameras will also make it easier for operators when they are processing ZINARA cards. Usually, they would need to manually input the number plates of those vehicles.
“These cameras will also allow future developments like licencing and system processing and verification of road transit coupons, but principally for now this is going to reduce processing time at the plazas and allow road users to spend less time on the queues.”
Moses Chigonyati, ZINARA Technical Director
Comments
14 responses
if they could use this technology to track criminals or at least implement it at robots.
They need to create a Database as in UK so that a Number Plate will be linked to a Person and a Person’s Bank account Number so that
If a person Runs a Red robot they will receive a Fine automatically
This will be a UK in Zim but still possible if they want it and it means we don’t have to necessarily stop at Toll gates because at the end of the month they will have to sent a Statement stating where and when they deducted the money from a person’s account
This won’t work because most Zimbabweans wipe out their accounts the moment they find money there. Here when salary comes people take it all out to buy money, so most people and those with cars prefer using “money” to do this kind of stuff kkkkkkki
Car reg numbers are not linked to bank accounts in the UK at toll gates you either pay by card or you pay online
Then that would be Surveillance.(ಠ_ಠ)>⌐■-■
They have had them at the actual boom on the kariba Rd for years and the enterprise Rd too. They help with ecocash prepaid. mutare Plumtree should have installed them years ago
They need to create a Database as in UK so that a Number Plate will be linked to a Person and a Person’s Bank account Number so that
If a person Runs a Red robot they will receive a Fine automatically
This will be a UK in Zim but still possible if they want it and it means we don’t have to necessarily stop at Toll gates because at the end of the month they will have to sent a Statement stating where and when they deducted the money from a person’s account
Good initiative.The system should also verify if the number plate is on the correct vehicle registered in the Zinara Database.There is a risk of people abusing or sharing the exempted number plates.
But , there will be power, zesa load shedding. These cameras wont work most of the time.
Its a good idea. They should introduce coupons sold anywhere including tuck shops just like airtime for phone,which can be scaned at tolgates, even buying through the banking system and ecocash so that companies in transport and even ordinary citizens plan their logistics wisely well in advance.
Thank you for this move. Kindly consider outlets or other easy ways of loading Zinara cards. Icecash inotitambudza
Yea I guess we are moving fast be technology keep it up and don’t forget to #Mask up covid is real
I WANT TO YOU TO ADD NUMBER PLATE ON THE FOLLOWING CARD 7711060003405684 Reg AGE 0751
I want you to put my car number plate on this card 771060003405650 Reg AEJ 9026