article from march 30

This was published on http://www.itsinternational.com/ on March 30, 2004. It requires a login, so I copied it here to save the hassle.

Redflex on a roll with US contracts

It has been a remarkable few months for Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia. The Melbourne-based company acquired rival Poletech last December, intends using Poletech's technology as a springboard into Europe and is racking up multiple wins in speed enforcement projects in the US.

"It's been a fantastic year so far," said Redflex general manager Ricardo Fiusco at Intertraffic Amsterdam yesterday.

He says Redflex is winning more than 90 per cent of the speed enforcement projects for which it competes in the US. "We install systems and as payment we receive a proportion of the fines they generate. We anticipate receiving around A$100 million (US$67 million) over the next five years."

He puts the company's success rate down to its ability to provide a city with a turnkey service and a greater percentage of successfully-prosecuted fines than rivals.

Once a camera network has been installed, it is linked to Redflex's national processing centre in Scottsdale, Arizona. There, images of speeding vehicles are downloaded and offending vehicle pictures sent to the local police force, which makes the decision on whether to prosecute.

Redflex's system includes a video camera that takes 12 seconds of pictures to provide context to the alleged offence. A video on Redflex's stand (07.205 at Intertraffic Amsterdam) shows one severe accident from which the culprit fled; number plate information from the system allowed police to arrest him at his home two hours later. On the other hand, it saved one motorist from a fine when the video showed that he had broken a red light to allow an ambulance a clear route through traffic.

Fiusco also has high hopes for Europe, where Poletech had developed a laser camera approved for use in the UK. "We had the intention to move into Europe this year, anyway; when we took over Poletech we decided to use that system as a lever into the market."

Published in Intertraffic Daily News, 30 March, 2004