With license plate scanner

Vienna’s “parking sheriffs” rely on sensor vehicles

If a car is identified as suspicious by the scanning vehicle, the enforcement body gets out and checks it for an "analog" parking ticket. If it is missing, a parking ticket is issued.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

The parking enforcement officers in Vienna - also known as "parking sheriffs" - will also be on the road by car in future. The city is planning to use so-called "scan cars". These have special sensors that recognize the license plates of parked vehicles.

If suspected parking offenders are located, the final check will be carried out by employees of the responsible department (MA 67).

According to the office of Transport Councillor Ulli Sima (SPÖ), the measure was initiated because almost the entire city of Vienna is now a short-term parking zone. The aim is to make the parking wardens' work easier. They already cover an average of around 15 kilometers a day on foot, it is emphasized. Some of the enforcement officers are already out and about on e-bikes.

Sensor vehicles from the end of 2026
However, cars are now also expected to be made available to them in the large, extensive districts from the end of 2026. They will be equipped with sensor devices on the roof. The number plates are scanned using optical character recognition (OCR).

The images are converted into a machine-readable text format. A comparison is then made with a linked database. As with the existing system, no further storage of data takes place in the background. Compliance with data protection regulations is therefore guaranteed.

As Markus Raab, Head of Department of MA 46 (Traffic Organization and Technical Traffic Matters) and special representative of the city for the nationwide expansion of parking space management, explained, the system can check whether an electronic parking ticket has been filled out. It also automatically checks whether an exemption permit for residents ("Parkpickerl") has been issued.

If neither is the case, the enforcement officer has to park the car, get out and check whether a paper parking ticket has been placed behind the windshield. If no such ticket is found, a ticket is issued as usual.

No reduction in staff planned
According to the Sima office, the review process for the necessary amendment to the parking meter law, which forms the basis for the planned new regulations, will start this week. The search for a provider will then be carried out on the basis of this by means of a call for tenders. There are no plans to reduce the number of parking enforcement staff as part of the system expansion, it is assured.

According to the town hall, commuter traffic in particular has been reduced since the introduction of area-wide parking enforcement in March 2022. The proportion of vehicles with non-Viennese license plates has fallen by up to 89 percent, while parking space occupancy has dropped by up to 68 percent in some cases. The penalty income from parking space management is legally earmarked for social welfare purposes.