Vehicle Management

• Search by Plate
• Merge Vehicles
• DNTT - Do Not Ticket or Tow
• Active Vehicle Report
• Tracking Electrical Vehicles

Search by Plate

The Search by Plate feature is a powerful tool for locating vehicles within the system. Its primary purpose is to allow administrators to quickly identify a vehicle's owner, review its permit and violation history, and perform related actions directly from a single centralized interface. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators and enforcement personnel.

Setup and Configuration

This feature is a standard part of the vehicle management module and does not require any special configuration to function.

Admin Side: Administrators do not need to configure any system settings. The search results are automatically drawn from existing user, vehicle, permit, and violation data already present within the system.

Using this Feature

Administrators and enforcement personnel can use the following instructions to perform targeted vehicle searches and interact with the resulting data.

Performing a Vehicle Search

1. Hover over User Management, hover over Vehicles, and click Search by Plate.

2. Enter your criteria into one or more of the standard search fields:

   • Plate: Enter the full or partial license plate number.

   • Make: Enter the manufacturer of the vehicle (e.g., Honda, Ford).

   • Type: Enter the body style of the vehicle (e.g., Sedan, SUV).

   • Colour: Enter the primary color of the vehicle.

3. Enable the Fuzzy Search checkbox if you are using a partial plate number to broaden the results.

4. Enable the Electric Vehicle checkbox to filter results specifically for electric vehicles.

5. Select a Date Range to filter for LPR events or pay station permits within a specific timeframe. Leave this field completely blank to search the vehicle's entire historical record.

6. Click the Search button to execute the query.

Interpreting Search Results and Available Actions

The search results will dynamically appear in a list below the search form. Each row provides specific information and quick-access icons for a vehicle record.

• History Icon: Click to view the vehicle's complete history, including LPR scans and past permit associations.

• User Profile Icon: Click to navigate directly to the owner's user profile page.

• Vehicle Details Icon: Click to view detailed information about the vehicle itself, such as the specific make, model, and year.

• Username: Click the linked username of the vehicle's registered owner to navigate directly to their profile.

• Email Icon: Click to open a new email composition window addressed to the vehicle owner.

• Violations Count: Click the displayed number indicating how many violations are associated with this vehicle to view the specific list of violations.

• Incidents Count: Click the displayed number indicating how many incidents are associated with this vehicle to view the specific list of incidents.

• Add Violation Icon: Click to immediately open the violation issuance screen for this specific vehicle.

• Pay Station Status: Review this column to view information about temporary permits purchased from a pay station for this license plate.

Be extremely cautious when using the Add Violation Icon. Always ensure you have identified the correct vehicle and associated user from the results list before issuing a new ticket to prevent enforcement errors.

A single license plate may appear in multiple rows if it is registered to different users (e.g., family members sharing a car) or has a separate pay station history not formally linked to a registered user account. Review all results carefully to ensure you are acting on the correct record.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Utilize fuzzy search for partial plates: Use Fuzzy Search if you are unsure of the full plate number or its exact sequence. Enabling this option will perform a broader search and significantly improve your chances of finding the target vehicle.

• Filter strategically by date: Use the Date Range filter primarily when investigating recent LPR sightings or temporary pay station activity. For a comprehensive overview of a vehicle's permits and violations, ensure the date range fields are left completely blank.

Merge Vehicles

The Merge Vehicles feature allows administrators to combine two existing vehicle records into a single, unified record. Its primary purpose is to correct duplicate entries, accurately associate vehicles with their correct user profiles, and consolidate all historical data, such as violations, into one primary vehicle record. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for maintaining data accuracy and comprehensive vehicle histories.

Setup and Configuration

This feature is a standard administrative tool and does not require specific system configuration to function.

Admin Side: Administrators must have the appropriate system role permissions assigned to manage vehicle records and user profiles.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use the following instructions to search for existing vehicle records and consolidate them.

1. Hover over User Management, hover over Vehicles, and click Merge Vehicles to open the interface.

2. Enter the vehicle plate or VIN of one or both vehicles you intend to merge into the search fields.

3. Click the Search button.

4. Select the secondary vehicle (or vehicles) from the results on the left side. These are the records whose information and history you want to transfer.

5. Select the primary vehicle from the results on the right side. This is the single vehicle record that will permanently remain after the merge.

6. Click the Merge button.

7. Confirm the merge action in the subsequent prompt.

8. Wait for the confirmation screen to appear, indicating the successful completion of the process.

This process associates the secondary vehicle's data to the primary record, bringing along all historical information, including outstanding violations. If the primary vehicle is associated with a user, this process will correctly link all the consolidated violation history to that user's profile.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Identify the primary vehicle carefully: Clearly determine which vehicle record should be the primary one that remains in the system. This is usually the record with the most accurate, complete, or longest-standing information.

• Review details before merging: Carefully review the details of both the secondary and primary vehicles before initiating the merge. Look closely at details like the make, model, color, and ownership history to ensure they are indeed duplicates and that the merge is intended.

• Leverage search flexibility: Use the flexibility to search by either plate or VIN to accurately identify the correct vehicles for merging.

Merging vehicles is a permanent and irreversible action. Once two vehicles are merged, the secondary vehicle records are effectively absorbed into the primary, and the action cannot be undone. Always verify your selections before proceeding to prevent data loss or incorrect associations.

DNTT - Do Not Ticket or Tow

The Do Not Ticket or Tow (DNTT) feature allows administrators to apply a temporary condition on a vehicle to prevent ticketing or towing. Its primary purpose is to grant temporary parking exceptions for specific time frames, such as for VIPs, special events, or service vehicles. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for managing parking exceptions and enforcement operations.

Setup and Configuration

The DNTT feature is a standard administrative tool and is enabled by default, requiring no overarching system configuration.

Admin Side: While the core feature is available by default, an administrator's assigned user role must specifically have the Manage Vehicle permission enabled to successfully access and run the Vehicle DNTT Report.

User Side: End-users cannot apply, edit, or view DNTT flags for their own vehicles via the public-facing portal. This is strictly an administrative enforcement tool.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use the following instructions to apply the flag from a user's profile, manage existing exceptions, and review usage through reports and handheld devices.

Applying a DNTT Flag to a Vehicle

1. Hover over User Management and click User Search.

2. Click the Vehicles tab once you have opened the target user's profile page.

3. Locate the specific vehicle in the list and click the Add DNTT button.

4. Set the exact start and end date and time for the parking exception using the From Date / To Date fields.

5. Specify a particular lot or area where the exception is valid using the Location field. If left blank, the system will assume the DNTT applies to all locations globally.

6. Enter a clear and concise reason for the DNTT in the Note field.

7. Click the Save Changes button.

The Note field is mandatory and serves as the most critical piece of information for your field officers. Always write a clear, concise note explaining exactly why the DNTT was issued (e.g., "Guest of Dean for event in building A until 4 PM"). This note will be directly visible to enforcement officers using the OPS-COM App.

Editing or Deleting an Active DNTT

1. Click the Vehicles tab on the user's profile.

2. Click the Edit DNTT button next to the vehicle possessing the active flag.

3. Click Modify to update the active details, or click Delete to remove the DNTT exception entirely.

Viewing DNTT Status on Handheld Units

Enforcement officers can easily see active DNTT flags in the field to prevent accidental violation issuance.

1. Tap Search Vehicles on the OPS-COM App.

2. Enter the license plate to perform a database search.

3. Tap the vehicle record in the results list to view the full details, including the expiry time and the administrator's explanatory note. Any vehicle with an active DNTT will be clearly indicated in the initial results list.

Using the Vehicle DNTT Report

This report provides a searchable historical log of all DNTT flags issued by administrators.

1. Hover over User Management, hover over Vehicles, and click Vehicle DNTT Report.

2. Enter a Date Range to find DNTTs that were active during that specific period.

3. Filter by Number of Instances to find vehicles with a history of multiple DNTT records.

4. Click the Search button.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Specify exact timeframes: Set the DNTT time frame to be as specific as possible. Avoid creating open-ended or excessively long exceptions. Limiting the timeframe maintains the integrity of your parking enforcement program and prevents abuse.

• Restrict by location: Use the optional Location field to add clarity if a parking exception is only valid in a specific lot or area. This explicitly limits the scope of the exception and helps prevent confusion for both the vehicle owner and the enforcement officer.

• Audit exception usage: Regularly use the Vehicle DNTT Report to audit active and past exceptions. Consistent auditing helps ensure the feature is being used correctly by your administrative staff and provides a clear history of all granted exceptions for accountability purposes.

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Related Video

Active Vehicle Report

The Active Vehicle Report is an investigative tool designed to identify users who have more active vehicles registered on their profile than they have valid permits. Its primary purpose is to help administrators detect potential permit abuse, outdated vehicle lists, or other data discrepancies that could affect parking enforcement and lot management. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators.

Setup and Configuration

This report is a standard administrative feature and does not require any specific configuration.

Admin Side: No specific setup is required to run the report. It automatically analyzes existing user, vehicle, and permit data to provide a focused list of users whose vehicle counts may require review. The allowable limit for extra vehicles is determined by your overarching user type settings.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use the following instructions to access the report and interpret the generated data.

1. Hover over User Management, hover over Vehicles, and click Active Vehicles Report.

2. Wait for the report to run automatically when the page loads.

Key Information Displayed

The report is specifically designed to display a list of all users who have at least one more active vehicle than they do valid permits. For each user meeting the criteria, the report will display:

• Username: The name of the user.

• Email: The user's listed email address.

• Active Vehicles: A count of active vehicles currently listed on their profile.

• Valid Permits: A count of valid permits they currently hold.

• Allowed Extra Vehicles: The amount of extra vehicles specifically allowed for that user, which is determined by their user type settings (the default is 1, meaning one additional vehicle is allowed).

To calculate the exact amount of unauthorized extra vehicles, add the number of active permits to the number of allowed extra vehicles. Subtract that total from the number of Active Vehicles. This final number indicates how many vehicles the user is over their allowed limit.

This report is strictly an investigative tool, not a definitive list of violators. A discrepancy can easily occur for legitimate reasons, such as a user forgetting to remove an old vehicle after selling it, or temporarily adding a rental car to their profile.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Develop a standard procedure: Develop a standard procedure for addressing users on this report. A best practice is to contact the user directly and ask them to review and update the vehicle list on their profile. Instruct them to remove any vehicles they no longer own or use for parking on the premises.

• Review periodically: Review this report periodically to ensure user data is clean and accurate ahead of peak periods. Running this report at the beginning of each semester or right before a major permit sales cycle prevents clutter and ensures your enforcement data is highly accurate.

Tracking Electrical Vehicles

The Tracking Electrical Vehicles feature allows both administrators and users to officially designate specific vehicles as electric within the system. Its primary purpose is to provide the data necessary for managing access to dedicated charging stations, reporting on sustainability metrics, and applying EV-specific parking policies. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for vehicle management and parking policy enforcement.

Setup and Configuration

The EV flag feature is universally enabled by default and does not require any special system configuration to activate. The functionality is immediately available on all vehicle information pages.

Admin Side: Administrators have the ability to manually apply or remove the EV designation for any user's vehicle directly from the administrative portal.

User Side: End-users can self-manage their profiles and flag their own vehicles as electric through the public-facing online portal.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use the following instructions to manually flag a vehicle as electric and generate specialized reports based on these designations.

Flagging a Vehicle as an EV

1. Hover over User Management and click User Search.

2. Enter your search criteria to locate and select the specific user whose vehicle you wish to manage.

3. Click the Vehicles tab located on the user's profile.

4. Click the license plate link for the specific vehicle you wish to edit.

5. Enable the Electric Vehicle checkbox within the vehicle information pop-up window.

6. Click the Save Changes button.

Identifying and Reporting on EVs

Administrators can identify electric vehicles in the system using two primary methods:

• User Profile Indicator: When viewing the Vehicles tab of a user profile, EVs are clearly identified by a blue thunderbolt icon next to the license plate. Hovering over this icon displays a helpful tooltip confirming it is an electric vehicle.

• Vehicle Report: Administrators can quickly get a comprehensive list of all EVs in the system using the Search by Plate tool.

  1. Hover over User Management, hover over Vehicles, and click Search by Plate.

  2. Enable the Electric Vehicle checkbox in the search filters.

  3. Click the Search button. The resulting list will include an EV column to help you easily identify all flagged vehicles.

User Portal Experience

Users can follow a similar, streamlined process to designate their own vehicles as electric:

1. Log into the OPS-COM user portal.

2. Navigate to the page listing the active vehicles associated with the account.

3. Click the Edit button for the desired vehicle.

4. Enable the Electric Vehicle checkbox in the vehicle details window and save the changes.

Much like the administrative view, end-users can visually identify their own EVs by the blue thunderbolt icon displayed directly next to the vehicle's license plate in their vehicle list.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Manage dedicated charging stations: Use the EV flag to manage access to dedicated charging station areas. You can strategically create specific lots or permit types that are strictly only available to users with a flagged EV on their profile.

• Track sustainability metrics: Regularly run the Search by Plate report with the Electric Vehicle filter enabled. This allows you to accurately track the number of EVs in your parking system over time and formally measure the adoption of green transportation.

• Enforce green policies: If your organization has EV-specific parking policies (such as 'EVs Only' parking stalls), the EV flag provides the critical data needed to enforce these rules. Enforcement officers can easily verify EV status through standard vehicle lookups on their handheld devices.

• Encourage user self-management: Encourage users to accurately update their vehicle information, including the EV flag, during permit registration or annual renewals. Pushing this responsibility to the user ensures your data remains accurate without requiring manual administrative updates for every single vehicle.