Penang begins using ANPR to enforce public parking payment – compound fine notices issued on the spot

Last Friday, Penang began using a system that will issue parking compound fine notices on the spot using an automated number plate recognition (ANPR) system. The system, which covers public parking lots, scans number plates to detect unpaid parking fees in real-time and can issue compound fine notices without requiring officers to be physically present, as FMT reports.

Notifications will then be sent directly to motorists through the Penang Smart Parking app, the sole platform for public parking payments in the state. Penang’s local councils, the Penang Island City Council and the Seberang Perai City Council, will operate five ANPR units each.

According to state local government, town and country planning committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye, the upgrade will provide faster, smarter enforcement with fewer errors. He added that the system would lower operating costs and potentially reduce manpower needs per patrol unit by 60%.

“This isn’t just a tech upgrade. It is (a shift in) how we manage urban parking with smart enforcement, full digitalisation and a commitment to the environment with fewer paper compound notices,” he said.

Using optical character recognition, the ANPR system cross-checks number plates with the road transport department (JPJ) database, H’ng said. If a vehicle is found to be parked illegally or without payment, a compound fine notice will be instantly issued, with the owner’s details pulled directly from JPJ records.

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