Parking enforcement officers get a boost from new tech

Video and Reporting by Dhany Osman Chan Yu Wei, 27, is a parking enforcement executive with Certis Cisco, which was recently awarded a three-year contract by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), Housing and Development Board (HDB), and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to perform parking enforcement operations nationwide. In his enforcement role, Chan – who is also a trainer – makes use of a host of high-tech tools that greatly improve his efficiency as compared with the "saman" officers of the past. These include body-worn cameras, handheld smart devices, and mobile enforcement vehicles, which are able to scan and recognise car license plates thanks to their side-mounted cameras. All these devices make for efficient enforcement work, which is a welcome relief for officers like Chan who usually cover 10 carparks on each shift. Despite the help, certain challenges of the job remain such as weather conditions and the occasional confrontations with members of the public. During his interview with Yahoo News Singapore, Chan also clarified that, unlike what many people think, there are no target numbers set for the issuing of fines.