£20m speeding ticket system gets green light

New system will improve processing and issue of fixed penalty notices

The system will automatically fine those who run red lights

A contract for the delivery of a £20m IT system to process and issue speeding and other traffic infringement tickets will be awarded this month.

The system, known as PentiP, will be used by all police forces in England and Wales and will be rolled out by September 2011.

It will include a Driver Offender Re-Training Scheme (Dors) system that will record details of offenders who have been offered and accepted a retraining course as an alternative to a penalty.

PentiP will replace legacy systems operated by The Vehicle Procedures and Fixed Penalty Office (VP/FPO).

"The PentiP procurement exercise is now in its concluding stage and the final cost will not be known until the contract has been awarded," said Home Office minister David Hanson in reply to a parliamentary question.

"The current expectation is that the total cost of designing, developing and implementing PentiP will be in line with the figure of £19.3m."

Procurement is being co-ordinated by the National Police Improvement Agency.