Video motorists with tickets on buses: a success in New York, an idea for Paris?

Since August 19, the approximately 623 buses run fourteen of the busiest public transport lines in New York City (Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island) equipped with a camera that recognizes vehicle license plates. Beware of those who use reserved bus lanes or park inconveniently in front of a stop!

Without intervention from the bus driver, artificial intelligence identifies the crime scene and transmits the captured images to sworn police officers. They are the ones who verify the speed of the truth, before sending a report by mail to the owner of the vehicle.

Tested since 2019, this on-board video reporting system has proven to be effective. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which manages public transportation in New York City, reports a 5% increase in the average commercial bus speed. The big winners are the users, who notice an improvement in punctuality and an increase in the frequency of shares. Enough to boost attendance, which is up 12% compared to 2021.

Obviously, bus equipment has a cost. Just to equip 2,000 more buses over the next three years, or about two-thirds of its fleet, the MTA will spend $141 million. In addition to this is the cost of image processing, for an undetermined amount. All these costs and investments are offset by recovering the amount of the fine (from 50 to 250 dollars) and by the operational savings created.

Since the MTA confirms that consumption of fuel and gas emissions are down 5% to 10%, thanks to less frequent stops and starts. Better still, the number of accidents would decrease by 20%. Even stronger, the MTA counts only 9% of drivers who are repeat offenders, proof of the deterrent effect of on-board video fines.

Since then, there is no news. No real tests have proven it. Through its press and communications department, the RATP limits itself to specifying that so far, “no camera on its buses is used for video reporting”. On-board cameras are used only to enhance passenger safety: they film inside the car but not the traffic lane.

On condition of anonymity, the RATP employee confirms Challenges that at a meeting of the social and economic committee of the RATP Surface Network Pole held in January 2024, one of the ways that was mentioned to improve the punctuality and consistency of the service, was to “strengthen the video verification systems for vehicles. that would impede the circulation of road traffic”.

However, nothing at the time indicated whether it was a question of equipping buses with crime-detection techniques or – more likely – asking Paris City Hall to strengthen its on-road video-verification system on its put up on pylons.