License plate camera enforcement Promenade area

Municipality of Waalwijk

The municipality uses ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras to check whether vehicles are allowed to enter the Promenade area. The camera reads the license plate number. An algorithm checks whether access is allowed. If it is not, a photo is presented to the enforcement system. An boa assesses whether a fine or warning will be issued.

Last change on 24th of March 2026, at 14:18 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

• Publication category: Impactful algorithms
• Impact assessment: DPIA
• Status: In use

General information

Theme

Traffic

Begin date

04-2025

Contact information

[e-mail]

Responsible use

Goal and impact

The aim is to enforce the Promenade area digitally. Control of this is done with cameras that can read license plates. The purpose of the algorithm is to enable efficient enforcement.

The algorithm only impacts vehicles that should not be in the area. Only the offending vehicle is imaged. Non-offenders are disregarded. The cameras, and hence the algorithm, are used to enforce the Promenade area for vehicles. The impact of the algorithm on the resident is low. Only number plate reading is performed by the algorithm. Alleged offenders are manually checked by a special investigating officer (boa) to determine whether there is any criminal behaviour, with the boa also still checking the licence plate itself on camera images.

Considerations

The algorithm offers significant benefits by being more efficient, faster and cheaper. Instead of employees having to continuously read out images, now only vehicles that should not be in the area are photographed. Posting traffic signs alone is not enough, and using enforcement officers to manually check vehicles is time-consuming and inefficient. Physical closure with traffic bollards (pollers) also has drawbacks, such as high purchase and operating costs and the damage that can occur. Moreover, the area must remain accessible to emergency services at all times. Camera surveillance is therefore more efficient and effective than the alternatives.

Human intervention

The system generates a list of registered vehicles without an exemption. A boa checks and reviews this list within 72 hours. If an offence is detected, the boa forwards it to the Central Judicial Collection Agency.

Risk management

The license plate registration system complies with all applicable privacy laws and regulations.

There is no live video footage: it involves only digital images (photos) with license plate information. Only offenders are temporarily listed (for a maximum of 72 hours). Information on non-offenders is removed immediately.

Legal basis

Road Traffic Act 1994

Links to legal bases

Road Traffic Act 1994: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0006622

Elaboration on impact assessments

Impact assessment

Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

Operations

Data

License plates (registration number, date, time and location, no specific name and address details) of vehicles that are not allowed to be in the allocated area, database of exemption holders and any window times. Window times are the times when special vehicles are / are not allowed to enter the city centre.

Links to data sources

• RDW: https://www.rdw.nl/
• NPR: https://www.nationaalparkeerregister.nl/

Technical design

The camera enforcement system scans (excluding any window times) all license plates of passing vehicles. The camera then uses an object recognition algorithm, which is used to recognise and classify different types of vehicles in traffic (type of vehicle and other objects). The classification of the vehicle is determined through a link with the RDW. The license plate is compared with a database of registered license plates of exemption holders via a link with the NPR. Vehicles without exemptions are put on a list that ends up with a boa.

In addition, another algorithm ensures that the photo of the offence is blurred (blurred), except for the vehicle with license plate.

External provider

Brickyard B.V.