Oxfordshire uses Siemens’ traffic weight enforcement system to protect bridge

Siemens’ Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras have been deployed to enforce weight restrictions on one of the oldest river crossings on the River Thames at Newbridge, UK. The new traffic enforcement system has been introduced by Trading Standards in Oxfordshire whose officers will monitor the bridge and enforce the limit. Vehicles exceeding 18 tonnes maximum gross weight can be fined up to £1000 ($1,300).
November 30, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
189 Siemens’ Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras have been deployed to enforce weight restrictions on one of the oldest river crossings on the River Thames at Newbridge, UK. The new traffic enforcement system has been introduced by Trading Standards in Oxfordshire whose officers will monitor the bridge and enforce the limit. Vehicles exceeding 18 tonnes maximum gross weight can be fined up to £1000 ($1,300).


The solution operates on the A415 between Abingdon and Witney, and is designed with the intention of maintaining an enforcement schedule and permitted vehicle lists. Its schedule will provide selected enforcement periods required for other types of restriction, with the permitted lists identifying council vehicles that are permitted to use the route irrespective of their weight limit, such as refuse collection, emergency response or road maintenance vehicles.

In Newbridge, the cameras have been installed onto existing CCTV columns with the intention of minimising disruption and cost. The equipment uses 3G communications and only requires a power connection, aiding the installation and flexibility of camera deployment.

Joe Moxham, UK product sales manager at Siemens ITS, said: “Evidence downloaded from the cameras can be used to demonstrate that drivers have committed an offence, allowing the Trading Standards team to investigate with knowledge and a reliable witness of events, providing enforcement quality images of the vehicle in contravention during any time of the day or night, and in all weather conditions.”


Councillor Judith Heathcoat, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council said: “The County Council is committed to protecting this irreplaceable historic bridge and this technology allows us to do just that. We are responding to concerns from the local community and are alerting drivers of heavy vehicles so they can find other routes.”

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • November 17, 2020
    The benefits of WIM technology from Oriux
    Weigh In Motion (WIM) technology allows transportation agencies to classify and record vehicle weight as vehicles travel over a measuring site on the highway. This technology provides agencies with the necessary tools to enforce overweight compliance programmes, helping them keep roads safe and extend the life cycle of their infrastructure.
    Read More
  • June 25, 2019
    Rekor develops Rekor Edge vehicle recognition system
    Rekor Systems is to launch a camera recognition solution which it says is designed to read the vehicle make, model, number plate, colour and body type. The Rekor Edge solution comes with an accuracy rate exceeding 99% and is suitable for parking and law enforcement, the company adds. Rod Hillman, chief operating officer of Rekor, says: “With Rekor Edge, we’re democratising vehicle recognition solutions by bringing a cost-efficient and user-friendly solution to potential markets.” According to Rektor, th
    Read More
  • February 25, 2015
    Substantial savings from smarter street lighting
    As authorities strive to reduce expenditure and carbon emissions, Colin Sowman looks at some of the smart ways of managing street lighting while containing costs and maintaining safety. Street lighting can account for 40% of an authority’s energy consumption. So, faced with the need to reduce outgoings, some authorities are looking for smart ways of managing street lighting or even turning off swathes of street lights in the small hours. Back in 2008 the E-street Initiative report concluded that authorities
    Read More
  • January 31, 2012
    Wrong Way Detection System prevents accidents, improves safety
    In 2006, within a span of four months, two incidents of drivers entering the 16km-long Westpark Tollway in Houston, Texas resulted in horrific accidents that caused a number of fatalities. As a result, Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) began investigating technologies that could help detect vehicles entering the tollway in the wrong direction.
    Read More

Highlighted Content