Quebec Provincial Police Issue 1 600 Fines in One Month Using GTechna's MES PLATES License Plate Recognition System (LPRS)

Montreal, October 16, In one month of use, a new gadget that automatically reads license plates allowed the Sûreté du Québec (Quebec’s Provincial Police) to issue 1 600 tickets and seize 200 vehicles.

The president of the SAAQ/Department of Motor Vehicles, John Harbor, said that this device is being tested as a pilot project for three months throughout Quebec.

"These two infrared cameras, are situated below the sirens and read all vehicle license plates at a range of up to 180 degrees, targeting vehicles that have no business on the road," he explained. These devices can scan up to 5 000 plates per day.

Eight Sûreté du Québec (SQ) vehicles have been equipped with these cameras. In the month of August alone, officers issued 1600 tickets and 200 cars have been taken off the road, said Harbor. The figures for September and October will be published in the final report, expected to arrive in November.

“The SAAQ/Department of Motor Vehicles provides the plate numbers of offenders who have not renewed their plates, or whose licenses have been revoked or suspended for any reason. You'd be surprised at the number of cases that we have had," he added.

Automatic Verification

SQ Police Officers are extremely satisfied with the results, remarked the president of the SAAQ/Department of Motor Vehicles enthusiastically.

"The beauty of this system is that it makes a systematic verification of what is in front and on either side of the street. If there is a plate in violation, there is an alert on the computer, notifying the police to intervene. For example, someone who has been convicted of drunk driving, can be caught driving at 4 in the afternoon, although sober, and it allows us to take action."

Beyond a tool "extremely important to road safety", Mr. Harbor finds that it is also an excellent way to protect the revenue resources for the SAAQ/Department of Motor Vehicles. "That is to say that to be fair to all, if you want to travel on roads, you have to pay for that right.”

Surete du Quebec Adopts Group Techna's Licence Plate Recognition System (LPR)

Montreal, August 7, 2008 A pilot project has been launched due to an agreement between the Surete du Quebec (Quebec's Provincial Police) and SAAQ/Department of Motor Vehicles to use MES PLATES, a License Plate Recognition System developed by Group Techna. The Surete du Quebec (SQ) has begun testing hi-tech infrared cameras produced by Elsag North America. In the SQ environment these cameras will capture between 3 000 and 5 000 license plates per day. These cameras operate in conjunction with Group Techna's state-of-the art LPR software MES PLATES. Patrol cars in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and a host of other major cities across the province have been equipped with LPR since the beginning of August. This system enables police to efficiently determine which vehicles are not authorized to be on the road. Whether it is from a suspended driver’s license, expired permit or DUIs these drivers will be apprehended and taken off the streets in record timing due to this truly groundbreaking technology.

December 6, 2007

Vaughan Introduces Online Payment Option For Parking Tickets

The City of Vaughan has launched a website application for paying parking tickets online. The Ticket Online Payment service owned and operated by Group Techna of Montreal, is an example of e-government services that employ web-based computer technologies to allow the electronic exchange of information between the City and its residents and businesses. 

June 1, 2007

City of Montreal Chooses Group Techna to Fix Aging Traffic and Parking Ticket System

Montreal's parking and traffic ticket system is a mess but the city has a high-tech solution to get people to pay up quicker - it's computerizing the process to reduce errors and speed up the mailing of infraction reminders.

The city's response: Improvements are on the way, thanks to Group Techna, the City’s chosen supplier of new hand-held computers that ticket-givers will be equipped with, beginning this fall.

June 12, 2007

General Dynamics Itronix Hits Market with Smallest, Lightest Rugged Notebook Computer

General Dynamics Itronix announced today a full-featured, fully rugged computer in the “ultra-mobile” category that is designed to meet the portability and durability needs of industrial, commercial, military and government customers. The GoBook MR-1 is a two-pound, full-function rugged notebook measuring 4.3 inches by 6 inches, allowing users to work on a portable, lightweight, reduced-footprint machine, with a superior outdoor viewable display, wherever duty takes them.

April 16, 2007

City of Montreal Police Service Adopts High tech Tickets

Montreal police and parking officers will soon be equipped with high tech portable computers and e-ticketing software to issue traffic and parking citations.  The new portable computerized system supplied by Group Techna, will eliminate paperwork and will reduce the number of disputed tickets by correcting human errors, explained Claude Dauphin, Montreal Executive Committee member responsible for this initiative.