UK firm for €6m Garda bid

A UK COMPANY has emerged as the preferred bidder for a contract to supply the Garda with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

Cleartone is currently in negotiations with the Garda over the five-year contract for up to 100 cameras, reportedly worth around €6 million.

The ANPR cameras will be mounted on Traffic Corps cars and will detect a range of motoring offences including speeding, untaxed or uninsured vehicles.

The technology links cameras at the front and the rear of the Garda cars with a computer linked to the Garda Pulse and National Vehicle and Driver Files. It cross-references the number plates of passing cars against a list of stolen, written-off and uninsured vehicles.

It is also understood that the system will detect vehicles that do not hold a valid National Car Test (NCT) certificate. The technology will allow gardaí to be far more precise in their policing of motoring offences while also allowing them to monitor huge numbers of vehicles.

It will allow gardaí to identify offenders who have ignored previous fines or sanctions.

The Cleartone camera system can read one number plate every second, giving it a capacity of over 3,000 vehicles per hour for each car equipped with the ANPR. The cameras can also read registration plates from the North and other EU states.

It is understood nine companies tendered for the contract.