Dutch-based Gatsometer – the firm behind the devices – has developed a new digital image-capturing system. This can slot straight into the existing housing of the UK's 4,000 Gatso cameras – saving a fortune on replacing the complete units. Called the GS11, it will be signed off for use on our roads by the Home Office “any day now”, a Gatsometer spokeswoman told us.
This means the digital Gatso could be in action trapping speeders within a month. And it's likely to be a huge hit with authorities; each GS11 should be able to quickly recoup its estimated £10,000 cost, as the upgrade will ena-ble it to “generate many more fines”. The wet film devices currently used in Gatsos – which make up 80 per cent of the cameras on British roads – can capture only 200 law-breaking incidents. That means on some busy routes, they can run out of film in a single day, according to UK importer Serco – so many speeding drivers who are flashed never actually receive a ticket.
But this situation will end with the GS11, as it stores thousands of images. Its lens can also monitor four lanes of traffic at once; current Gatso cameras patrol only two. And with 11-megapixel resolution, the set-up can take higher-quality images for better evidence.
The new camera also incorporates Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology for instantaneous identification of the speeding car. And as all the information can be downloaded over the Internet or wirelessly on to a laptop computer, the upgraded Gatsos are much cheaper to maintain – which could encourage authorities to install even more on our roads.
