CCTV traffic system (ParkingEye) to hit Scotland’s streets ‘in a matter of months’

The system, called ParkingEye Alert, works by using CCTV cameras trained on the spaces in the street.

Once a car arrives, it waits for a payment to be made at the machine and triggers an alert if that doesn’t happen within a time set by the local authority.

Alternatively, if the time expires beyond that on the ticket, a text message will also be sent to the traffic warden.

A second system, designed for use in car parks such as those at supermarkets, uses automatic number plate recognition, where a camera snaps the number plate when the car arrives and leaves.

The length of stay can then be calculated and if the driver has outstayed their limit, a fine is issued through the post.

The new technology may be set to infuriate motorists, but McKerney was quick to defend the system.

“The average law-abiding motorist has nothing to fear. If you pay for your parking you’ve not got an issue."

Trials of the ParkingEye system are currently taking place in England and McKerney said the company would be coming north of the Border in “a matter of months”.

He said: “We’ve been trialling the system in England over the last year and we’ve been in discussions with local authorities in London. We’re in talks with them because that’s where the main problem is.

“We’re in serious discussions with clients in Scotland and will be speaking to them over the next few months. We are looking to speak to local authorities in Scotland later this year.”

McKerney claimed one of the advantages of the system was that it reduced the number of traffic wardens who were physically patrolling the streets, therefore saving money for councils which could be better used elsewhere.

The system also received a positive response from the British Parking Association (BPA), which represents organisations in the parking and traffic industry, ranging from car park operators and private wardens to local authorities.

BPA chief executive Keith Banbury said: “As a relatively new industry, technology in the parking sector is advancing all the time, improving the way parking enforcement is run – to the benefit of the local authorities, private operators and of course, the public.

“In particular the ParkingEye system seems to have caught on because of its aim to improve the quality of parking tickets, which as an association is something we are also striving to do.”