Disabled parking spaces are a basic right that allows people with mobility disabilities to independently partake in society. Proper and easy parking is a basic commodity for them, both for getting to work, studies, medical treatments, and leisure, and for a sense of equality and independence. Unfortunately, many disabled parking spaces are illegally used by drivers who are not eligible for it. This phenomenon severely violates the rights of people with disabilities and causes them many difficulties. MER Group specializes in the design and implementation of traffic enforcement systems for municipal authorities in Israel and globally.
Recently, the Group won a tender to provide traffic offense enforcement services through a camera system with the option to enforce additional traffic offenses and monitor parking, in a major city in central Israel.
Among the capabilities offered in the tender are continuous monitoring of the enforcement area, continuous documentation of the offense and the road sign including automatic photography, continuous analytics to identify the license plate and check them in the database and sending messages by email or SMS about unusual events defined in the system.
The Challenge
Enforcing disabled parking presents several significant challenges, including the scope of the phenomenon, difficulties to prove the offence, low awareness and other challenges. These challenges require creative solutions and advanced technologies, alongside advocacy and education activities, to ensure effective enforcement and proper accessibility for people with disabilities.
The Scope of the Phenomenon
- In Israel, there are about 250,000 disabled parking spaces throughout the country.
- Many of these parking spaces, along with the shortage of inspectors, makes effective enforcement difficult.
- As a result, many drivers take advantage of the situation and park illegally in disabled parking lots, severely violating the rights of people with disabilities.
Difficulties to Prove
- Proof of illegal parking in handicapped parking sometimes requires visual documentation.
- This documentation can be done by an inspector who arrives at the scene, but in many cases, this is not possible, either due to a lack of available inspectors or due to lack of awareness to illegal parking.
- As a result, it is difficult to prove the offense and impose fines on drivers.
Low Awareness
- Many drivers are unaware of the severity of the harm caused by illegal parking in handicapped parking.
- These drivers may think that this is a relatively minor offense, which does not cause significant harm.
- This lack of awareness contributes to the continued phenomenon of illegal parking in handicapped parking.
The Solution: Using Sensors and Connecting to a Cloud Database
This advanced system incorporates sophisticated sensors, including image, proximity, and parking sensors, which enable accurate identification of vehicles parked in handicapped parking lots. This information is cross-referenced with a database, usually located in the cloud, that includes details about vehicles eligible for a disabled parking permit, the validity of the permit, and the owner’s details. Analysis of this information enables the identification of illegally parked vehicles in handicapped parking, considering the validity of the permit and the type of vehicle.
In case of detection of illegal parking, the system generates a fine automatically, visually recording the vehicle, license plate number, details of the offense and the owner’s details. The fine is forwarded to the authorities for handling. The advantages of this technology are many:
- Precise and efficient enforcement: accurate identification of illegally parked vehicles and automatic ticket generation results in saving inspectors’ work time.
- Deterrence: Increasing deterrence against illegal parking in handicapped parking.
- Accessibility: Improving the accessibility of disabled parking spaces for people with disabilities.
In addition, the use of this technology can be expanded:
- Real-time alert: The system can be configured to send a real-time alerts to inspectors in case of illegal parking.
- Data analysis: Analysing data collected by the system will help develop more efficient solutions for enforcing disabled parking.
In Conclusion
The technology of using sensors and connecting to a database offers an advanced and efficient solution for enforcing disabled parking, while improving road safety and protecting the rights of road users, especially those with disabilities.
