London may use RFID to enforce the congestion charge

Transport for London is set to spend up to £34m on new digital enforcement technologies for the Congestion Charging Scheme, which could include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.

A new number plate recognition system should be completed by 2008, at which point a further technology refresh may be needed to take into account "the potential use of radio tags to aid detection of vehicles".

Currently, images are sent to a central site where automatic number plate recognition technology is used to capture images of vehicles entering the zone and identify their registration plates.

For the proposed western extension zone, TfL initially wants the ANPR function to be carried out digitally at the roadside, with the full evidential record then being transmitted over low-cost cabled networks using digital technology.

From The RFID Gazette < Silicon.