Nearly 10k drivers clocked by council ANPR cars

Cars with automatic number plate recognition in Reading clocked nearly 10,000 drivers parking in places they should not have over a year.

Reading Borough Council uses cars with CCTV cameras that use the automatic number plate recognition technology to enforce parking breaches.

The council said they seek to improve road safety, tackle congestion, increase the reliability of public transport and improve air quality and lifespan of highway assets using them.

The so-called "approved devices" are used to fine people for stopping where they are not allowed, usually along the council's red route for buses, but also outside schools and at bus stops.

The council said that over a year, it issued 9,792 penalty charge notices (PCNs) by using the CCTV enforcement cars across Reading, 616 less than the 10,408 issued in 2023/24.

Most of the fines were issued in Oxford Road, with the CCTV cars being responsible for 3,601 fines.

In Friar Street, the cars were responsible for 933 PCNs and 579 fines were issued for breaches in Blagrave Street. Another 200 PCNs were issued in Recreation Road in Tilehurst.

All of the PCNs are classed as "higher-level PCNs" that mean a £70 fine, which is cut to £35 if paid within 21 days.