SMART PARKING |
A new model for parking services will change the way motorists
find, pay for and use available spaces, and also help local
businesses thrive in the smart cities of the future
Words | Bert Peirsman, CEO, Amano Europe, Belgium
Above: Amano’s
Shop & Stay project
in Genk, Belgium
removed barriers,
allowing motorists
‘frictionless’ access
to parking. They can
extend their stay
to 90 minutes by
scanning a QR code
in the local shops
In many cases we identify the
operation of a parking network
as purely a financial transaction
between the operator of the
parking spaces and the motorist.
Supply and demand are typically
driven by the location, size, rates and
variety of services offered by the
operator, all with the aim of making
the parking spot as attractive as
possible for the driver.
In other words, a balance is sought
between supply and demand in a
typical two-dimensional model.
This model is outdated.
192 Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2020
Social responsibility
Both urban and private parking
need to fulfil a social role, and social
responsibility requires cooperation
with various stakeholders. In other
words, ‘parking 2.0’ will have to
comply with the framework created
by the authorities and municipalities
that want to take into account the
needs and wishes of all parties
involved, such as residents, local
businesses, schools, city services, the
care sector, visitors, and so on. As
they all have specific needs, they all
should be involved in the pursuit for
a better working and living
environment. We can speak of a
successful Smart City project when,
on the one hand, the legislator and
the authorities can create such a
framework and, on the other hand,
solution providers can respond to it.
It is evident that parking needs to
evolve, because parking as a business
has an important role in this new
multidimensional balance. Mobility,
accessibility and local services are
all elements that are necessary for
parking 2.0 to be successful in this
new ecosystem. Indeed, we prefer
to refer to SROI (Social Return on
Investment) instead of ROI.
Automation requires cooperation
The second motivation for change is
operational. Automation requires
cooperation with providers of
Get set for Parking 2.0