BigBrother, a Dutch company that specializes in solutions for CCTV surveillance, has developed PumpWatch, which is a bespoke solution for petrol station forecourts. When a customer drives on to a forecourt and starts fuelling, the CCTV camera takes preset photographs of the vehicle, the license plate and the customer.
By being connected to the PSS 5000 forecourt controller, PumpWatch is able to receive "start/stop fill" and "cash register" signals. These signals are used to categorize the photographs as filling or cash register actions. This is a huge advantage for the user, who can easily trace the photographs with transaction numbers and dispenser numbers.
Once a drive-off event is identified in the system, the license plate is placed on a blacklist. The next time this license plate appears on the forecourt an alarm is activated at the cash desk – preventing repeated drive-off events. When PumpWatch is connected to a Police or vehicle database, the application is able to establish whether the vehicle or license plate has been reported stolen.
PumpWatch also provides business intelligence opportunities. The same hardware & software can use the individual license plates as a reference point to identify regular or otherwise notable customers; making it possible to assess customer behavior and loyalty on the forecourt.
This BigBrother/PSS 5000 solution is running successfully on a number of petrol stations across the UK.
To read more about the features available with the PSS 5000, click here.