More than 6,000 fines have been issued to drivers and scooter riders for ignoring the barriers at railway crossings since the first numberplate recognition cameras were installed earlier this year.

ProRail said it had seen a change in drivers’ behaviour at crossings where the cameras are in use. In Bunnik, where the first one was installed in February, the number of violations has dropped from 25 a week to around 10.

The rail network operator aims to have 40 cameras in place around the country, with priority given to the most dangerous locations. The twelfth went live on Monday on Stationsweg in Baarn.

So far around 6,400 people have been issued with fines at 11 high-risk spots in Noord-Holland and Utrecht provinces where the cameras have been trialled.

The cameras record the numbers of cars, scooters and motorbikes that cross the railway line while the red lights are flashing. The images are checked by a ProRail official before a fine is sent to the owner. The standard fine is €300 for motorists and motorcyclists and €210 for scooters.

However, the cameras are unable to identify cyclists and pedestrians who cross while the barriers are down.

“We’re still dependent on enforcement officers catching people in the act when it comes to this group,” ProRail spokeswoman Mirjam de Witte said. However, she added that the images could help ProRail decide whether to step up patrols at a particular crossing.