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CCTV Management at Auckland Transport CCTV Management at Auckland Transport

Can AT provide a certificate of calibration or a gazetting notice for your Special Vehicle Lanes enforcement equipment?

AT is unable to provide a certificate of calibration or a gazetting notice for the equipment. That is because the equipment used to collect the data is not surveillance-certified as it does not detect and/or issue infringements. The equipment only provides an indication that a parking officer needs to determine if an offence has been committed. Therefore, no certification or calibration is required.

Auckland Transport (AT) undertakes surveillance and monitoring activities utilising a network of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and recording facilities to assist in the delivery and the safe operation of the transport network.

AT works in partnership with the New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) to provide appropriate access to CCTV footage to help manage the network. They are operated by the Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC), which is a joint venture between Waka Kotahi and AT.

Purpose of CCTV usage 

The primary purpose of AT’s CCTV assets is to monitor all aspects of transport within the Auckland region. This serves as a means of ensuring public safety, improving efficiency throughout the transport system, protecting assets and enforcing Special Vehicle Lanes. These functions have been delegated to Auckland Transport under the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009. This is standard for cities around the world.

In addition, the system is used to assist with asset security within the network and to support the safety and security activities of other agencies e.g., New Zealand Police within the agreed CCTV Access Request framework.

See our CCTV policy page for more information. 

CCTV data management 

Auckland Transport is only able to provide CCTV footage to the Police, or any other third party, where that is allowed under the Privacy Act.

For example, Auckland Transport may provide CCTV footage to Police where the footage is necessary to support their criminal investigations and not providing it to them would prejudice the maintenance of the law.

Auckland Transport also takes reasonable steps, including use of signage and publication on its website, to ensure that the public is alerted and informed of where CCTV systems are operating.

Data storage and access

CCTV Footage is stored in secure data centres including anonymised data captured from video analytics.

Currently AT stores CCTV footage for 7 days, after which the footage is over written. Anonymised metadata is kept longer as it is used for improving network efficiency.

Only approved Auckland Transport employees who are required to operate CCTV as part of their role have access to the AT CCTV System.

The technology does not use facial recognition and does not capture audio information. 

More about CCTV 

Auckland Transport’s CCTV cameras play an integral part in keeping Auckland moving with approximately 4800 CCTV cameras in operation across the following modes: Bus, Ferry, Rail, Roading, Cycling and Parking Facilities.

AT owns and operates all of the CCTV cameras. In the future we may integrate CCTV from other agencies and private entities if it can assist us to achieve our key goals of ensuring public safet.

In-house computer vision capability is used to help enhance safety and optimise the network.

Here are some examples of what computer vision is used for:

  • Special Vehicle Lanes Enforcement
  • Detection of wrong way drivers on dynamic lanes
  • Detection of stationary vehicles in Special Vehicle Lanes
  • Vehicle Journey Times / Queue length detection
  • Objects counting at Intersections, roads & cycle ways
  • Detection of unauthorised berthing at Auckland Transport ferry terminals
  • Detection of stationary vehicles on Railway Level Crossings.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)

ANPR sometimes referred to as LPR (License Plate Recognition) and is used for two main purposes:

  1. Vehicle journey times to gauge travel times and manage the roading network. This data enables AT to manage traffic congestion by analysing trends, make informed optimisation decisions, influence road user behaviour with real time information. In this case the licence plate data is encrypted prior to being stored into AT systems Vehicle Journey time data is stored indefinitely to be used data analysis and reporting purposes.
  2. SVL enforcement to enforce illegal use of Bus Lanes or Transit Lanes. ANPR is used to capture unauthorised vehicles using SVL. In this case, if an infringement has occurred then the data is retained for 7 years as legal evidence and as per the statutory legislation requirement.

This information is not publicly available. Registered ownership is only used by the AT Parking Enforcement teams if a violation has occurred.

If you want to learn more, please contact us.