Interview with Andrew Humphries, MAV Systems: Intelligent ANPR, Ghost Plates and What's Coming at Parkex 2026

Q1. For anyone coming across MAV Systems for the first time…

At MAV Systems, what we’re really about is delivering ANPR that parking operators can rely on, day in, day out, in all weather conditions, come sun, rain or snow.

There’s a lot of technology out there, but for us it comes down to three things: consistent accuracy, reliable quality, and return on investment. If the reads aren’t right or matching, or the system isn’t reliable, nothing else matters.

We exist to make sure operators can capture all vehicles, minimise leakage, and ultimately maximise revenue and efficiency, no matter the simplicity or complexity of the parking environments. We are also laser focused on offering the best customer experience and service,  with dedicated specialists on hand whenever needed.

 

Q2. What does a modern MAV solution actually do at the point of enforcement?

Our systems are designed to perform in all the parking situations, poor weather, high traffic density, awkward and acute angles, you name it, our ANPR technology can overcome all challenges.

What’s really changed in recent years is the level of intelligence behind that capture. With solutions like MAV AiQ, we’re not just reading plates, we’re validating them, analysing them, and flagging issues like potential manipulation in real time.

At the sharp end, it’s about getting consistently accurate reads, every time, overcoming any plate tampering attempts, and turning that data into actionable intelligence.

Most ANPR cameras are largely capturing and processing after the fact. Now, you’ve got high-performance ANPR making decisions at the point of capture on the edge, which is a big shift.

 

Q3. Ghost plates and plate evasion… how serious is it?

It’s a big issue and growing , and  some operators may not even be aware to what extent, but those that do, would agree it’s having a real financial impact now.

As enforcement has become more sophisticated, so have the tactics to avoid it, with ghost plates, altered characters and 3D characters amongst them. The problem is, even a small percentage of missed or misread plates can translate into significant revenue leakage.

This is exactly where we’ve focused a lot of our effort with our new ANPR range, being able to identify anomalies and overcome them, flag suspicious plates, provide the plate characters behind the mask and improve confidence in what’s being captured.

For operators, it’s about catching more contraventions and making sure nothing slips through the net unnecessarily. (GhostPlate video)

 

Q4. AI and data intelligence… where’s the real value?

For us, AI has to deliver something very tangible and that’s better accuracy and better outcomes.

The real value is in:

• Improving read rates in challenging conditions
• Identifying plate manipulation, irregularities and true vehicle identities (Make, Model, Colour)
• Reducing false positives and manual checks
• Giving operators more confidence in their data

With the MAV AiQ, intelligence is built directly into the ANPR process, it’s not an add-on, it’s part of how the system performs.

There’s a lot of hype about Ai but from our perspective, if it isn’t helping you increase capture accuracy, enhancing revenue and system performance and offering greater efficiency, then it’s just a buzz word without meaning.

 

Q5. How important is data depth in parking systems?

The right data is fast becoming the most critical information entity, it drives intelligent decision making and outcomes, performance and efficiency across all parking systems. Inaccuracies cause disruptions, lead to inefficiency and fundamentally a huge loss of revenue.

Accurate data can ensure vehicles are correctly monitored and charged, contraventions are identified, evasion attempts are captured and penalised and parking is simple and efficient for all customers.

ANPR cameras like the MAV AiQ provide enhanced intelligence and data which supports performance analysis, improvement identification, forecasting and customer behaviour. All of these tools make a huge difference to parking systems, allowing for the best possible return on investment.

 

Q6. The single biggest challenge for parking enforcement teams?

I’d say it’s maximising ROI from enforcement operations.

Operators are under pressure to deliver results, but they need to do it efficiently and with accuracy. Missed reads, unreliable systems, or high manual intervention all eat into that and leaves a negative perception with customer

That’s where high-performance ANPR makes a real difference. If you can increase accuracy, reduce errors, and operate reliably across all environments, you naturally improve productivity and revenue capture.

It’s not about doing more for the sake of it, it’s about choosing the best technology that offers the best results whilst receiving the best levels of service.

 

Q7. What does Parkex mean to MAV Systems?

Parkex is always a great opportunity for us to have proper conversations with the market.

This year, we’re really focused on demonstrating not only the performance side of what we do, but how our technology actually delivers in real-world parking scenarios plus the unsurpassed support, that we lovingly term “The MAV Experience”

That includes showcasing our full ANPR portfolio, but especially what we’re doing with MAV AiQ around accuracy and our pioneering GhostPlate technology. It also gives us a chance to unveil new products……

 

Q8. Who are you hoping to connect with?

We’re keen to speak with parking system operators, developers and everyone in between. We are all about giving our parking customers an unforgettable  experience, technology for the best results and we look forward to showcasing the real outcomes that can be gained with our ANPR solutions.

We know the important issues that will need to be addressed:

• Improving capture rates
• Reducing leakage
• Handling plate evasion
• Getting better ROI from existing operations
• Customer experience and service

Fortunately, those are the areas where we know we can add the most value and see MAV Systems as the operators Trusted Partner and Advisor

 

Q9. What’s next for MAV Systems?

Well, we have developed ANPR technology that is unmatched at supporting parking operations but we never want to stand still. The MAV AiQ will continue to evolve, our solutions will consistently be upgraded with the changing needs of the parking sector and we always have one eye on the future.

We will continue to build long term partnerships with our parking customers to ensure they continue to benefit from our exceptional customer service, consistent research and development and bespoke solutions.

With that being said we will be launching a brand new product at Parkex which has been built for parking operations. Intelligence, accuracy, performance, reliability and value all wrapped up in MAVs unique style but I won’t say anymore, we look forward to sharing the details with visitors to our stand.

 

Q10. Final message for those considering Parkex

Parkex is a fantastic event that allows you to find the best solutions for your specific requirements but a word of advice, look out for the real deal.

MAV are consistently used as the benchmark for ANPR technology in parking with many other providers making some very fanciful claims. 94% of their statistics are misleading 100% of the time. Dig deeper and find the true outcomes.

From our side, we’re always happy to have an open conversation about what people are trying to achieve, and how we can help them get there with reliable, high-performance ANPR. Also happy to support a trial or just swing by the stand for a cuppa and chat, we are super friendly.

 

Meet Andy in person at Parkex on the MAV Systems stand (P31) or hear Andy's insights during the following seminar sessions:

• Ghost Plates and Evasive Techniques Affecting Road Safety
• Parking Technology Learning Lab: Tackling Evasion Through Innovation to Protect Our Communities
• Ghost Plates and Other Enforcement Challenges

Watch the video to learn more about MAV Systems: