New clean air zone cameras will soon be installed across Portsmouth
NEW traffic-monitoring cameras will be installed in Portsmouth next month in preparation for a clean air zone.
From April work will begin to implement cameras that use an automatic number plate recognition system to identify any ‘non-compliant’ vehicles that enter the chargeable zone, which will cover an area in the south west of the city.
The cameras will be installed at 34 sites around the edge of the clean air zone, which is set to come into operation in November, with a further five inside it.
Councillor Dave Ashmore, the council's environment and climate change boss, said: 'It’s really important to make the air in Portsmouth safer to breathe for everyone.
'We understand that residents will want to know why these new cameras are going up in their neighbourhood. I want to reassure everyone that they will only be used to check traffic and won’t invade people’s privacy.
'Although we believe that funding to improve air quality could be used in different ways, the government-mandated clean air zone will be coming at the end of the year. Installing these cameras makes sure that we’re accurately recording details of the most-polluting vehicles, and by using existing street lamps and traffic poles, we’ll minimise the impact on everyone.'
The cameras will be placed on existing lamp columns and traffic signal poles wherever possible, but some new poles will also be installed. It is planned they will all be in place by the end of September.
As reported, the zone will charge heavy goods vehicles, coaches, buses, taxis and private hire vehicles of a certain age between £10 and £50 to enter.