Transit Ultimate Gives Express Parcels The Edge
Express Parcel Services (EPS) reduces guarding hours & improves HGV traffic flow at Middleton with Norpass3 & Nedap long-range readers.
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Vehicle access control systems
A vehicle access control system identifies each vehicle at the gate, whether fleet, staff, contractor or visitor, and opens the barrier only for the ones allowed in. We design and manufacture the loop detectors, counters and access control in South Wales, and distribute and support Nedap's long-range readers and ANPR cameras as Nedap's certified UK partner.
How a vehicle access control system works
A reader or camera, a controller and a barrier: the simplest system lets known vehicles in without anyone on the gate.
- The windscreen tag or number plate is read
- The controller checks it against the access list
- The barrier opens and the entry is logged
A vehicle access control system for one lane
The simplest system covers a single entry lane. As a vehicle approaches the barrier, a long-range reader reads the tag on its windscreen at up to 15 metres, or an ANPR camera reads its number plate at 2 to 10 metres, so the driver doesn't stop, wind down the window or reach out to a reader.
The reader or camera sends the vehicle to the controller as an ID, the same way a card reader sends a card number. The controller checks the ID against its access list and the times that vehicle is allowed in, opens the barrier for a valid vehicle and logs the entry.
Build on it as the site grows
Add an ANPR camera beside the tag reader so visitors and contractors get in by number plate, with nothing to hand out, as Exeter Science Park does on each lane. Put a reader on the exit too for anti-passback, so one tag or card can't let in a second car, and an intercom at the gate for drivers who aren't on the list.
Count vehicles in and out so the barrier stops a car park overfilling, and run every lane, card and door from Norpass3, our licence-free access control software, as one system.
Vehicle access control by industry
Vehicle access control for logistics yards and distribution centres
Get trucks moving. Stop bottlenecking at the gate.
Identify your HGV fleet at 15 metres and log every third-party vehicle by plate.
Vehicle access control for logistics yards ›Vehicle access control for schools, colleges and university campuses
Keep the campus moving. Without propping the gate open.
ANPR lets staff and parents drive straight in while every movement is logged.
Vehicle access control for schools and campuses ›Vehicle access control for ports and marine terminals
Keep traffic moving. Strengthen security. Support compliance.
Identify registered trucks at 15 metres and read visiting hauliers by number plate.
Vehicle access control for ports ›Vehicle access control for data centres
Multi-layer perimeter security, without the friction.
Contractors identified at 15 metres, staff by windscreen tag and visitors by number plate.
Vehicle access control for data centres ›Vehicle access control for airports
Three environments. Different vehicles. One vehicle identification platform.
Airside service vehicles identified at 15 metres, staff by windscreen tag and cargo hauliers by plate.
Vehicle access control for airports ›Vehicle access control for critical infrastructure and utility sites
Unattended perimeters, contractor flow, 24/7 reliability.
Pre-authorised contractors identified at 15 metres at gates with nobody in attendance.
Vehicle access control for utility sites ›Vehicle access control for manufacturing plants and industrial yards
HGVs in, employees in, suppliers in. Without manual gatework.
HGVs and suppliers identified at 15 metres, one-off deliveries by plate and staff by windscreen tag.
Vehicle access control for manufacturing plants ›Vehicle access control for bus and rail depots
Fleet movements, dwell tracking, depot security.
Fleet vehicles identified at 15 metres at full approach speed, with every movement timestamped.
Vehicle access control for bus and rail depots ›Vehicle access control for weighbridges and bulk material sites
Every load, identified. Every ticket, automated.
The fleet identified before the wheels are on the plate, casual customers by number plate, every ticket tied to a vehicle.
Vehicle access control for weighbridges ›Vehicle access control for defence and high-security estates
Multi-layer perimeter. Strict accreditation. Zero failure tolerance.
Vehicle tag read at 15 metres, the driver's credential with Booster tags, every plate verified and every event recorded.
Vehicle access control for defence estates ›Vehicle access control for hospitals and emergency vehicles
Seconds matter. Make the gate the easiest part of the journey.
Ambulances identified at 15 metres so the barrier is already rising, staff by windscreen tag, visitors by number plate.
Vehicle access control for hospitals ›Vehicle access control for corporate campuses and asset storage sites
Volume traffic, mixed users. One elegant access experience.
Staff and members in on a windscreen tag, VIP lanes read at 15 metres, visitors by number plate, one open platform.
Vehicle access control for corporate campuses ›Types of vehicle access control compared
There are four common ways to identify a vehicle at a gate, and one way to detect that it's there. Most sites combine two: an identifier for the vehicles they know, and loops for barrier safety and counting.
| Technology | What identifies the vehicle | Range | Driver stops? | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passive UHF tags (Nedap uPASS Go) | A windscreen tag or card | Up to 10 metres | No | Staff and fleet at gates and car parks |
| Semi-active tags (Nedap Transit Ultimate) | A windscreen tag, or the driver's own card in a booster | Up to 15 metres with a Compact Button tag, at up to 200 km/h | No | HGVs, fast lanes and high-security perimeters |
| ANPR (Nedap ANPR Lumo) | The number plate | 2 to 10 metres | No | Visitors, contractors and sites that don't want to issue tags |
| Card reader at the barrier | A card or fob held to the reader | Up to 100 mm | Yes | Low-traffic gates and occasional users |
| Inductive loops | Nothing: they detect that a vehicle is there | Over the loop | No | Barrier safety, free exit and counting, alongside one of the above |
Long-range RFID for hands-free vehicle access
Long-range readers identify a vehicle by a tag on its windscreen, so the driver doesn't stop, wind down the window or reach out to a reader. As Nedap's certified UK partner we distribute and support two readers: the uPASS Go reads passive UHF tags at up to 10 metres, and the Transit Ultimate reads semi-active tags at up to 15 metres with a Compact Button tag, on vehicles moving at up to 200 km/h, with AES-encrypted tag authentication for high-security perimeters.
One credential for people and vehicles
With a Transit booster on the windscreen, the tag carries the driver's own ID card, so the reader checks the vehicle and the driver together and the same card then opens the doors and turnstiles inside. It extends an existing card-based access control system out to the perimeter, with no separate vehicle system to run. The car park access control system page shows it at a car park barrier with Norpass3.
At the Caravan and Motorhome Club, 600 vehicles carry UHF windscreen tags matched to their drivers' proximity cards on Paxton Net2, and an alarm is raised if a vehicle is moved without authorisation. Express Parcel Services identifies its HGVs with Transit Ultimate readers and Norpass3, which cut guarding hours at its Middleton depot. For the comparison with number plates, see long-range RFID vs ANPR on our blog, or browse the long range readers.
Works with your access control, barriers and gates
- Most access control systems: readers and cameras send each vehicle as a Wiegand ID, like a card reader, and the uPASS Go also offers OSDP, RS485 and Ethernet. George Spencer Academy added Nedap ANPR to its existing Paxton Net2 system this way.
- Norpass3, our licence-free access control software, manages vehicles, cards and doors in one system with CRC22x controllers.
- Loop detectors: our 3-Series and 8-Series detectors, designed and manufactured in South Wales, sense vehicles for barrier safety, free exit and counting.
- Barriers, gates and bollards come from their manufacturers; the sites in our case studies use CAME and FAAC barriers.
Case studies
Vehicle access control in use
Long-range tags, ANPR and car park counting at sites across the UK and Ireland, installed by our partners.
uPASS Reach Provides Primary Vehicle Access Solution for Science Park
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uPASS Go Automates Vehicle Tracking at Caravan and Motorhome Club
Nortech's uPASS Go long-range UHF readers automate vehicle tracking across two Caravan and Motorhome Club storage sites, replacing manual checks with real-time entry/exit logging and instant unauthorised movement alerts.
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ANPR Helps to Secure North West Ambulance Service Regional HQ
Nedap ANPR for Expert Security's vehicle access solution for the North West Ambulance Service's Lancashire regional HQ.
Read moreANPR Enables UWC Atlantic to Control Access to its Car Park
Gee Communications installed ANPR Lumo cameras to secure the car park of UWC Atlantic.
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Nortech's NorParc Cuts Congestion at Sligo University Hospital
Nortech Control works with National Automation and Power Right Security to deliver car park counting to Sligo University Hospital.
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Vehicle access products
Nedap uPASS Go
Based on battery-free passive UHF technology, the uPASS Go reader provides a cost-effective solution for convenient vehi…
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Nedap Transit Ultimate
Robust long-range reader, based on semi active RFID technology, which enables automatic vehicle identification at…
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Nedap ANPR Lumo for Vehicle Access Control
The ANPR Lumo is an all-in-one number plate camera, including embedded software, analyser and IR illuminator.
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ANPR Stainless Steel Posts
The SSP-ANPR and SSDP-ANPR stainless steel posts are each designed to house the Nedap ANPR camera in an attractive…
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Norpass3 Access Control Software
Together with Nortech’s modular access control panels, Norpass3 access control software provides a high degree of…
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CPC202 and CPC204 Shared Occupancy Controllers
Control access for groups of users sharing the same parking facility…
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3-Series Dual Channel Vehicle Detector
One of the most critical components of the whole vehicle access control system…
› View DetailsNCT100 Standalone Counter Module
A standalone four-channel counting system providing up to 4 individual counters.
› View DetailsVehicle access control FAQs
What is a vehicle access control system?
A system that identifies vehicles at a site entrance and opens the barrier or gate only for authorised ones. It has three parts: something that identifies the vehicle (a tag reader or an ANPR camera), an access control panel that checks it, and the barrier or gate it opens.
What are the main types of vehicle access control?
Long-range RFID tags on the windscreen, ANPR cameras that read the number plate, and card readers at the barrier. Inductive loops don't identify the vehicle, but most sites use them alongside for barrier safety and counting.
Is long-range RFID or ANPR better for vehicle access?
Tags suit the vehicles you know, such as staff and fleet, and the driver never stops. ANPR suits visitors and contractors, because there's nothing to issue. Many sites use both: at Exeter Science Park each lane has a long-range tag reader for staff and an ANPR camera for visitors.
How far away can a vehicle tag be read?
Up to 10 metres with the Nedap uPASS Go and its passive UHF tags, and up to 15 metres with the Transit Ultimate and a Compact Button tag, on vehicles moving at up to 200 km/h. The working distance on site depends on the tag, where it sits on the windscreen and how the reader is set up.
Can one card control both doors and the vehicle gate?
Yes. With a Transit booster, the driver's own ID card sits in the booster on the windscreen, the Transit Ultimate reads it at the gate, and the same card opens the doors inside.
Will it work with our existing access control system?
Usually. Long-range readers and ANPR cameras send each vehicle as a Wiegand ID, like a card reader, and the uPASS Go also has OSDP, RS485 and Ethernet. The Caravan and Motorhome Club runs uPASS Go readers on Paxton Net2.
How are visitors and contractors let in?
ANPR is the simplest: add the visitor's number plate in advance for a set day or time, with nothing to hand out. Without ANPR, visitors can be given a temporary tag or card, or let in from an intercom at the gate.
How much does a vehicle access control system cost?
It depends on the number of lanes, whether you issue tags or read number plates, whether the barriers are new, and whether the readers join an existing access control system. Our blog breaks down what an ANPR system costs, and the price for your site comes from the installer after a survey.