The City of Canterbury Bankstown will use state of the art technology, as part of its Smart City program, to identify motorists doing the wrong thing in school zones.

And the smart camera technology will also be used in carparks around the city to help motorists find parking spots and reduce congestion.

The month-long trial which uses camera imagery and artificial intelligence will focus on three local schools and two car parks.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the trial has nothing to do with revenue raising but the safety of our children and the community.

“Mums and dads want peace of mind when their kids are being dropped off at school,” he said

“There is also the knock-on effect on other traffic. When people park illegally , or near corners reducing visibility, traffic around the area becomes congested very quickly.

“We are finding that traffic around our car parks can become backlogged, but the new technology aims to allow a smoother traffic flow without reliance on boom gates.”

Council is trialling several suppliers, who will use cloud-based technology that enables remote access to dashboards and detailed reporting.

“The purpose of this trial is to understand how some of the latest technology, like licence plate recognition and artificial intelligence, can benefit the overall safety of pedestrians and motorists in the City,” Mayor Asfour said.

“What’s amazing about the artificial intelligence software, for example, is its ability to compare captured images to programmed traffic violations. The software is then able to flag any
infringing vehicle on an online dashboard.”

“While images are stored, and available for manual checks if needed, the system is designed to be fully automated – allowing our rangers to have eyes on more areas at once.”

“The reality is we don’t have the manpower to be at every school, every day.”

The project is grant-funded by the NSW Government’s Stronger Communities Fund and is one of the pathways Council is investigating to become a Smart City, using technology and innovation in an effective way for residents.

For more information on the trial locations and dates, visit cb.city/projects