Cherished Number Plates News

Automated Number Plate Warning

03 September 2008

The company operating the toll systems in Sydney's Lane Cove Tunnel says it has mistakenly issued toll demands to over 500 motorists.

Apparently, its system misread number plates on motor vehicles using the tunnel and the nearby Falcon Street Gateway for almost half a year, from March to August.

Number plates were only photographed when they did not have the valid electronic tag, and these photographs are then read by a computer.

However, any number plates which are difficult to read, e.g. if there are obstructions such as dirt, or caravans or non-standard lettering or frames have to be read manually and this appears to be where the errors have occurred.

So be warned. Automated Number Plate Recognition is not fool-proof. There will always be errors. So If you get a fine in the post, make sure you read it and question it if needs be. A misread may have sent you somebody else's fine!