The key to the success of any charging system is to ensure a high degree of compliance by road users to the charging scheme.

Typically most enforcement systems are based on the capture of a digital image of the vehicle from which the Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM) is determined through they use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).

Enforcement equipment normally take one of the following forms:-

The 2001 White Paper European Transport Policy for 2010: Time to Decide covered all transport modes and emphasises the need for sustainable transport solutions led by a desire for a modal shift from road transport to more environmentally friendly modes of transport. In this document a target was set to reduce the number of road related deaths by half by 2010 through the deployment of new technology and enforcement of compliance with traffic laws

Transport by road is the least safe of all modes and the most costly in terms of human life. The directly measurable cost of road accidents is in the order of Eur 45 billion per annum.

As traffic volumes increase, better vehicle speed management becomes an important aspect of improved safety and will also reduce congestion. In addition to improved road safety, observation and enforcement of speed limits will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly.

With the advent of digital image technology there is an increasing deployment of automatic enforcement systems on both the UK and European Road networks including:-

As the mobility of people and goods in Europe increases, and with the increasing used of automated unattended enforcement systems for either charging systems or traffic enforcement the issue of cross border enforcement is becoming significant.

Enforcement or compliance systems are only effective if the threat of being caught and the subsequent penalties are perceived to be greater than the cost of compliance.

Cross Border enforcement covers the following areas:-

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