Venlo is a city in the northern part of the Dutch province of Limburg. With over 100,000 inhabitants, Venlo is, after Maastricht, the largest municipality in Limburg. The city centre has a historic character, atmospheric markets, squares and narrow streets. The city has a very friendly atmosphere and a wide range of shops.

Besides its inhabitants, Venlo is a popular place for visitors with its bustling city centre. In order to guarantee attractiveness and safety, the municipality of Venlo decided a few years ago to restrict vehicle access to certain zones in its historic city center. However, these zones always need to be accessible for authorised vehicles, such as emergency services, suppliers, municipal services, residents and permit holders.

Banning vehicles and regulating traffic flows has a positive effect on the safety and attractiveness of the city. By keeping unnecessary traffic out of the city centre, Venlo creates a pedestrian-friendly city centre.

‍A simple, fast and stable access control system

At the time, the various zones were equipped with automatic bollards controlled by an access control system. In order to simplify processes and activities, the need arose for an optimisation of this access control system. Therefore Venlo searched for an access control system that met their new demands in regard to simple to use, fast to operate and stable operation.

As a result, BAM Infra Verkeerstechniek and Nedap Identification Systems have joined forces to simplify the regulation of traffic flows in the heart of Venlo and make it more efficient. While Nedap implemented its Moov software for access control, BAM Infra Verkeerstechniek facilitated as a system integrator. They install and configure the software and hardware according to wishes of the end user.

‍Fully compatible with current hardware

The various zones in Venlo were already equipped with Nedap's readers and cameras to identify vehicles. The Moov software offers an excellent solution because the current hardware is fully compatible with the updated software.

‍“The many years of successful collaboration between Nedap and BAM Infra has resulted in a city access solution that is tailored to the market. Together with Nedap, we offer cities a total solution for worry-free city access. The solution includes a very user-friendly management tool, which allows the city to manage access easily and flexibly, now and in the future,” said Gerrit van Ballegooijen, project leader movable physical barriers, BAM Infra Verkeerstechniek.

Vehicle identification for authorised drivers

The different user groups for which access is authorised are identified in several ways. Nedap's ANPR cameras are used for license plate recognition, to identify user groups with temporary or incidental access rights like suppliers and municipal services. The necessary data, such as license plates, are registered in a municipal system and are linked to the Dutch organisation “National Parking Register” (NPR). As soon as the vehicle has been identified by the ANPR camera, the Moov software checks in milliseconds with the NPR whether it is an authorised vehicle.

Nedap's Transit 112 solution is used for emergency services. Based on the RFID technology, these vehicles are granted fast and safe access for a reliable passage. This is crucial in (critical) situations where every second counts.

In total, there are 15 entrances to the city equipped for a couple of years with the bollards FAAC J275 HA, Nedap's ANPR Lumo cameras and Transit Ultimate readers. With this total solution from business partners BAM Infra Verkeerstechniek and Nedap Identification Systems, Venlo is provided with a modernised city access control solution that guarantees the safety and quality of life in the city.

‍”For more than 30 years I enjoy creating a safe and liveable city for our residents and visitors. That sums up my daily motivation in one sentence. The city access policies are aimed at regulating and reducing vehicles in the city centre. This is being digitised more and more, so that we can facilitate access for residents and entrepreneurs even better and faster. Linking Moov to the National Parking Register gives us the opportunity to grant access to people with an exemption for city access based based on license plate numbers. In addition, Moov offers us the possibility to manage the city closure installations remotely to grant users remote access to the city. In addition, in case of events such as Venloop, Vasteloavend, Galas and Feesten, we can easily manage the closures centrally. Access to the city is a necessity for visitors and residents alike. By regulating and controlling this easily and efficiently with the help of the Moov software, we ensure a car-free attractive city,” commented Paul van Hoorn, Senior Parking Employee, Municipality of Venlo.