The implementation of road safety cameras is not limited to the borders of the United States; the latest news comes from Victoria, Melbourne, thanks to Verra Mobility. This private company, which bought Redflex back in 2021, dedicated to various traffic control services, is conducting a trial on the roads of Victoria. Although it has the necessary permits from the Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), the Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria (DJCS) has confirmed to the media outlet Drive that they are not involved in it in any way. It is a trial to test the operation of the Mobile Camera Security (MCS), which was taking place along Canterbury Road in Albert Park, Melbourne.
Currently, Verra Mobility already offers its fixed radar and red traffic camera services on Victoria’s fixed road safety camera network, as stated by the DJCS, but the company has refused to comment on whether its trailer-mounted cameras have advantages over those currently used on Victoria’s roads, which belong to the company Sensys Gatso. According to Verra Mobility’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Steven Crutchfield, all data obtained throughout this trial will only be shared with the DJCS.
Verra Mobility
Verra Mobility is a global smart mobility technology company that provides solutions to make transportation safer, smarter, and more connected, ranging from violation and toll management systems to parking solutions and data management for governments, car rental companies, and commercial fleets. Originally from the United States, Verra Mobility acquired Redflex, the traffic camera enforcement company, in 2021.
Camera-trailer tests
Currently, Verra Mobility is conducting a trial on the roads of Victoria, in Melbourne, to test its trailer-based camera technology. Specifically, the tests took place on Canterbury Road, in Albert Park, Melbourne. The purpose is also to collect data, which will not be used to issue fines in the future. The well-known Verra Mobility trial is ongoing at the Department of Justice and Community Safety of Victoria (DJCS), which has nothing to do with the trial in question.
This exam aims to test the point-to-point average speed detection function of the camera by tracking the speed of a vehicle between the two cameras. Additionally, they have other capabilities such as speed detection, red light violations, compliance or non-compliance with bus lanes, license plate recognition, mobile phone use, and failure to use a seatbelt.
Verra Mobility and the DJCS
The Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria (DJCS), have stated that they will not participate in this trial, and the surveillance company has all the relevant permits granted by the Department of Transport and Planning of Victoria. According to the DJCS, “Verra Mobility already operates a range of fixed speed cameras (intersection, road, and point-to-point) and red light traffic cameras across the entire Victoria fixed road safety camera network”. However, no portable camera operates on behalf of DJCS, and it has also refused to comment on the advantages of its cameras compared to the company that currently provides that service in Victoria, Sensys Gatso.
Trailer Technology
Verra Mobility has made use of the technology from the company Mobile Camera Security (MCS), whose gasoline trailer can operate for more than a month without refueling, as stated on their official website. Meanwhile, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Verra Mobility declared that “all data collected from the trial is shared only with DJCS,” and added that the use of portable camera trailers “creates a significant psychological effect” since “drivers never know where a unit might be placed.”