by KYW’s Mike Dunn and Paul Kurtz
Traffic fine scofflaws in Philadelphia beware: officials are unveiling a high-tech van whose driver will prowl the city, scanning hundreds of license plates and booting cars whose owners have unpaid tickets.
Its called "AutoVu," and it will hit the streets of Philadelphia in early October. Traffic Court administrative judge Bernice DeAngelis says cameras linked to a computer are mounted on the van:
“It takes pictures of all the license plates of any cars parked on the street. When there’s a hit, the computer lights red, allowing the operator of the AutoVu to look into our database, and if that is a car belonging to one of our scofflaws, then we will impound the car.”
Owners with unpaid fines for moving violations get booted and towed. The van will operate seven days a week, and tour all city neighborhoods. It can scan about 3,600 license plates per day, court officials said.
The court estimates there are 46,000 drivers that owe $36 million in fines to the city. DeAngelis says if you have unpaid fines, you’d be better off paying up now.
The van is on a no-cost loan as part of a pilot program. Officials will evaluate it for several months to see if they want to buy one or more for permanent use, said deputy Traffic Court administrator Dominic Rossi.
If you do have unpaid fines, you can get more information -- or pay up quickly with a credit card -- at Traffic Court’s web site, http://courts.phila.gov/traffic.
E-Mail Story
Print Story
