Siemens wins £60m C-Charge enforcement contract

New ANPR system to be used for zone extension...

Siemens has won a £60m contract to provide the digital camera and automatic number plate reading (ANPR) technology for enforcing London's Congestion Charge in the controversial new western extension zone.

The 10-year contract has been awarded by Transport for London (TfL) and will involve the installation of more than 850 ANPR cameras at 127 sites, which will capture the details of an estimated one million number plates per day in the extended Kensington and Chelsea zone.

The vehicle number plates will be captured and processed by the roadside cameras instead of being sent to a central processing facility as they are in the existing Congestion Charge zone. This will reduce the cost of the communications network, which was awarded to Easynet in a £9m deal earlier this week.

Siemens will use technology from Roke Manor Research and Pips Technology in the new enforcement system, which is due to go live from 19 February 2007.

Siemens traffic controls MD, David Carter, said in a statement: "We are confident our proven technology and technical expertise will contribute towards the successful development of the scheme, and will further help TfL with its ongoing efforts to reduce congestion in the capital."

For more on the Congestion Charge check out silicon.com's In Focus special, which includes the photos from inside the operation's high-tech hub.