Case Studies

London Congestion Charge
£2m London Congestion Charge system for Transport for London in 2003
and extension in 2007, doubling original area

AIMS OF THE SCHEME
To reduce traffic in Central London by 10–15% and time spent in delays by 20–30%.

AREA COVERED
Area of charging zone - 16 square miles (42 km²) Number of entry/exit points – 203 Images processed per day 1 million

RESULTS
Each day in 2006 almost 70,000 fewer vehicles entered the charging zone compared to the number entering each day before charging began. The amount of traffic entering central London during charging hours was cut by around 20%.

CCTV CAMERAS
X-Wave CCTV cameras record two types of images of traffic – images of a vehicle in its surroundings. The other captures number plates and sends them to be checked against a list of vehicles paid for. One million images are processed each day. There are 400 camera positions across the charging zone of which approx 180 are on the inner ring road.

ANPR cameras can operate in low light
Up to seven cameras are mounted at each position on 8m poles to enable them to read number plates in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

NEW CAMERAS FOR WESTERN EXTENSION
In August 2006, web-enabled Spike+ cameras were added, which are capable of operating 24 hours a day in varying weather conditions.

Kings Wings for Kingsland School
The world’s first flying classroom!

Phoenix the aeroplane arrives

“Instead of having an ordinary classroom, I thought we should have an extraordinary one. A plane was the most extraordinary one I could think of – apart from a shark!” - Pupil Ryan Hughes, aged 7

Pupils have checked in for lessons in the world's first classroom inside an aeroplane.

Crowds gathered at Kingsland Primary School in Bucknall to witness the unveiling of the unique outdoor classroom by Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo.

Mr Morpurgo told the Stoke Sentinel: "I have been to schools all over the world and not a single one has got a plane in its playground. The plane is amazing – it will make classes more exciting."

It has cost the school about £20,000 to buy the plane and convert it into a fully modernised classroom – about a quarter of the cost of a traditional portable building modified to the same specifications. The plane itself cost £11,000.

Headteacher David Lawrence said: "When we realised we needed an extra classroom we asked the children what they wanted. Someone said a train, someone else, a tree house, and one boy said a plane.

"It was saved from a scrap yard and we have effectively recycled it to create the world's first 'flying' classroom.”

CCTV Liverpool - Dingle
Multi-million pound CCTV Crime Reduction and Safety Zone System

CCTV monitoring control room

AIMS OF THE SCHEME
To reduce crime and increase personal safety of residents and visitors to Liverpool and surrounding areas.

AREAS COVERED
Liverpool Dingle, Kensington and Old Swan.

RESULTS
In Liverpool city centre and areas such as Dingle, Kensington and Old Swan, CCTV has played a key role in crime control, and has been instrumental in monitoring and reducing crime, and securing convictions by providing CCTV evidence for use in court.

BENEFITS OF CCTV CAMERAS
CCTV security systems have been installed in schools, nightclubs, pubs, shops and stores across Liverpool to improve security and reduce crime. Also for street surveillance, monitoring anti-social behaviour, crowd control at demonstrations, and maintaining safety at major events, for example.