Parking enforcement using a mobile scanning vehicle

Maastricht City Council

The scanning vehicle automatically checks the number plates of parked cars. These number plates are compared with the parking authorisations in the National Parking Register. If there is a problem, the scanning vehicle takes a photograph, which is then assessed manually.

Last change on 25th of June 2026, at 12:19 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

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

General information

Theme

Traffic

Begin date

2024-12

Contact information

https://www.gemeentemaastricht.nl/contact-en-openingstijden

Link to publication website

https://www.gemeentemaastricht.nl/parkeercontrole-met-de-scanauto

Responsible use

Goal and impact

Objective: digital enforcement of parking regulations. We check whether people are paying their parking charges in accordance with the rules. This ensures better and faster monitoring of parking. As a result, people are more willing to pay. Impact: A camera reads the car’s number plate. An enforcement officer always checks the photograph of the potential offence. This person decides whether a back-date charge will be issued because the parking charge has not been paid.

Considerations

The use of the scanning vehicle to monitor compliance with this regulation leads to more effective and efficient enforcement in the area of parking.

The deployment of the scanning vehicle helps to increase people’s willingness to pay through more effective monitoring. Failure to deploy the scanning vehicle would mean that enforcement could not be carried out efficiently, resulting in more cars parking without valid parking authorisation.

The collection of data is proportionate to the purpose. Collected number plates and images are not used for any other purposes.

Human intervention

If a number plate does not have a parking permit, a photograph is taken and stored in our system. An image assessor reviews the scans from the scanning vehicle and, in cases where the situation is unclear, refers the matter to follow-up officers. These follow-up officers assess the situation on site. The image assessor and the follow-up officers examine the facts and circumstances of the case to determine whether there has been a failure to pay the parking charge.

Risk management

Only photographs of vehicles for which no parking fee has been paid are retained. The other number plate details are deleted from the system. There is a risk that the system may misidentify a number plate. This could mean that someone is wrongly issued with a fine. To prevent this, a supervisor checks the photographs. If someone is nevertheless wrongly issued with a fine, they can lodge an appeal. Repeated fines are limited.

Legal basis

Local Government Act: Article 149, Article 156(1) and (2) (preamble and sub-paragraph (h)), Articles 225 and 228

Regulations on Traffic Rules and Road Signs 1990

Road Traffic Act 1994: Article 2

Parking Regulations and Parking Charges Ordinance 2022

Links to legal bases

• Road Traffic Act 1994: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0006622
• Local Government Act: Article 149, Article 156(1) and (2) (preamble and sub-paragraph (h)), Articles 225 and 228: https://lokaleregelgeving.overheid.nl/CVDR670922/1
• Regulations on Traffic Rules and Road Signs 1990: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0004825/2024-07-01/?g=2025-02-01&z=2025-02-01#Bijlage1
• The 2022 Regulation on Parking Regulations and Parking Charges: https://lokaleregelgeving.overheid.nl/CVDR670922/8

Elaboration on impact assessments

The local authority is carrying out a DPIA to assess the impact of the solution.

Impact assessment

Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

Operations

Data

The scanning vehicle collects the data required to verify parking authorisation. The scanning vehicle processes the following data:

1. Vehicle registration number
2. Date, time and location
3. Images of the vehicle and its immediate surroundings

In the event of a potential offence, the vehicle owner can be identified (name and address details) via a link to the RDW. Number plates with valid parking authorisation: these are removed after verification.

People may occasionally be visible in the images (for example, the driver or passers-by). These are automatically made unrecognisable (blurred).

Links to data sources

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

Technical design

1. The scanning vehicle drives through areas with paid or permit-only parking.
2. Cameras record number plates along with the location, date and time.
3. The system uses GPS coordinates to determine whether the vehicle is in a regulated zone.
4. Outside this area: data is immediately restricted, anonymised or deleted.
5. Within this area: a check is carried out against the National Parking Register to verify valid parking authorisation.
6. If a valid parking authorisation is found: the data is not used and is anonymised or deleted.
7. If there is no parking authorisation: the data is sent to the enforcement system (Brickyard).
8. A supervisor assesses the data; there is no fully automated decision-making.
9. In case of doubt, an enforcement officer may carry out an on-the-spot check.
10. Following an offence, a check is made for repeat offences; in the event of a repeat offence, the vehicle registration holder may be contacted.
11. Only necessary data is retained (including for enforcement and legal obligations); the rest is deleted or anonymised.
12. Use for monitoring and reporting is strictly subject to purpose limitation, data minimisation and restricted access.

External provider

Brickyard B.V.