Solution Series: Rugged Handheld PCs Keep Traffic Moving In The UK

By Field Technologies magazine

Long ago, little enforcement was needed to keep the traffic flowing on London's streets. Of course, that's when horse-drawn carriages coexisted with pedestrians in relative, if somewhat chaotic, harmony. Fast forward through the industrial revolution, the popularization of the automobile, and a population influx.

Now, London's roads have reached capacity. And, an entire industry has boomed around an essential function — keeping traffic flowing. Every day, thousands of civil enforcement officers (CEOs) take to the streets looking for vehicles that are illegally parked, blocking traffic, or otherwise hindering traffic flow. For years, enforcing traffic laws meant traffic wardens scrawling the penalty and vehicle information with pen and paper — a system that was time-consuming, fraught with errors, hindered by inclement weather, and subject to costly dispute.