Smart technology to implement EBZ measures and control emissions

Alfredo Gutierrez, Regional Sales Manager for Mobotix Iberia, Italy and Malta explain the possibilities and benefits offered by network video security technology for users to achieve the objectives of their LEZ.

According to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO), The 10% of the world's population breathes highly polluted air, with the health risks that come with it.

So much so that the European Environment and Environmental Information Agency (AEA) Figure in 33.200 deaths per year that occur prematurely in Spain due to poor air quality. Hence, administrations are taking more and more measures in this regard.

The most recent in Spain, the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco), Sets, among others, that all municipalities that exceed 50.000 residents will have to draw up a sustainable urban mobility plan before 2023, with the aim of introducing mitigation measures that reduce pollutant emissions from road traffic. Among them are the Low Emission Zones (LEZ), The subject of this article.

LEZs can be summarised as those urban areas where access restrictions apply, Circulation and parking of vehicles according to the classification of vehicles by their level of emissions.

Below, The steps are listed in general terms, based on what is established by Miteco, to complete the implementation for a LEZ:

• Diagnosis.
• Definition of objectives.
• Definition and signage.
• Restrictions, Exceptions and incentives to motivate goals.
• Socio-economic impact analysis.
• Control and sanction mechanisms.
• Mechanisms for monitoring objectives, Monitoring and continuous improvement.
• Implementation Timeline.
• Awareness-raising plan, Communication & Engagement.

For Points 4, 6 And 7, An ideal solution is one that allows the Automated data collection, thanks to the license plate recognition (Alpr), through a system of Smart Cameras What Artificial Vision Brings, as well as the analysis and management of the data collected for subsequent assessment and strategy development.

The use of cameras with license plate capture capability, along with a Embedded OCR engine and a back office software like Helix, ensure a complete solution with high reliability. In addition, enable the automation of a range of tasks that allow users to take the necessary action and achieve the objectives of their LEZ more safely, Reliable and simple.

This is a huge advantage when opting for smart cameras that, Beyond offering a Real-Time Visualization of what's going on, offer the Data analysis And, with him, Setting Up Events, Alerts, Whitelists and blacklists, filters, schedules, Etc.

What's more, Such a solution, is able to achieve, regardless of the complexity of the scene, The same level of recognition that until now was almost only recognized in high-end processor architectures such as, For example, Intel.

Smart cameras with ALPR technology for LEZs

As an example, With this system, you can receive alerts when an unauthorized license plate has entered a restricted area or when it has exceeded the permitted time of circulation or parking.

It's even possible to create an alert when a vehicle is going the wrong way, or more complex rules such as that certain days and times access is allowed only to even/odd license plates and, with it, determine penalties for those who fail to comply with these restrictions.

It is also possible to detect dangerous goods (ADR), Calculate the average speed on a given stretch with an entry point and an exit point; o Filter the limitation to the type of vehicle: Municipal Services; Discharge; Residents, Etc; as well as measuring the occupancy of a car park and having a list of the cars parked at a very specific time, classifying them if necessary by brand, model and color.

In conclusion, It's safe to say that the possibilities are endless. And even more, when you allow integrations with third parties, including DGT. In addition, Thanks to a central panel you can see clearly, by means of Custom Graphics, the status of a given area in real time.

And just as important is it to be able to establish measures and implement them reliably, how to analyze data and behavior to measure the success and benefits of data, because smart cities or smart cities are data-driven.

Solutions like this offer a wide range of Filters to sort and classify data, such as traffic variables, I mean, Depending on the speed, it is possible to see the flow of vehicles, or the density of a section or an area and represent it all graphically.

At last, one of the key aspects that a solution for managing LEZs must consider is the nature of the solution. The fundamental thing is the flexibility, based on it being versatile, Hybrid & Decentralized, since the regulations, even the social context – as has happened with the outbreak of the pandemic- it varies.

For all these reasons., The most profitable and optimal thing to do is to invest in technology that adapts to any scenario and allows integrations with third parties to avoid limits or constraints.

Alfredo Gutierrez

Regional sales manager for Mobotix Iberia, Italy and Malta

 

 

 

 

Other articles on European Environment and Environmental Information Agency-EEA, General Directorate of Traffic-DGT, Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge-Miteco, Mobotix, World Health Organization-WHO