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

  • May 19, 2017
    Trials of new technologies to counter age-old work zone challenges
    New solutions are being used to improve the management and safety of work zones on roads both big and small, as Jon Masters discovers. The UK government has recently been going to some lengths to paint a picture of a nation embracing a future of digital technology – understandably given the economic concerns arising from exiting the European Union. In December last year, however, the UK National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) put down a somewhat different marker for where the UK is now in terms of mobile c
    Read More
  • December 21, 2016
    UK councils to get power to enforce moving traffic offences
    Local authorities in the UK are set to get the power to fine motorists for moving traffic offences. Control over the issuing of fines is set to move from the police, to local councils, should the proposals be approved next year. Currently, London boroughs are able to fine motorists for similar offences, while councils outside of London can only fine motorists over parking violations or for driving in bus lanes. However under the new plans, councils across the country will gain the power to issue fines fo
    Read More
  • December 21, 2016
    Videalert automates rising bollards at UK university
    A Videalert CCTV-based ANPR system has been installed at the University of Hertfordshire to control rising bollards at two main entrances to the De Havilland Campus at Hatfield. The installation has been completed by Eurovia Infrastructure (a Vinci Group Company) on behalf of Ringway, a provider of highway maintenance services to local authorities under the seven-year Hertfordshire Term Contract. The new system will provide a safe pedestrian area within the busy campus which houses over 2700 members of st
    Read More
  • December 14, 2018
    Clearview launches Journey Time Monitoring System
    Clearview Intelligence has launched its Journey Time Monitoring System which uses crowdsourced data to generate automatic traffic alerts for temporary and permanent routes. Paul Bates, head of product management for Clearview, says the system – which analyses anonymous GPS-determined locations transmitted by mobile phone and satellite navigation users - removes the need for installing and maintaining roadside technology. Operators can launch the application from a computer and receive data in minutes.
    Read More

Highlighted Content