Technology has transformed almost every aspect of our lives in this modern age. The same is true for the car parking industry. However, people often undervalue the importance of parking facilities. Still, nobody can deny that the demand for car parking spaces increases with the increasing number of vehicles on the roads. Therefore, car park operators can capitalize on this great opportunity by adapting to the changing technology.
The evolving technology is changing the way car parks operate, the way users interact with them, providing businesses with a plethora of benefits and services and enabling motorists and staff to access an enhanced parking experience. Read on to find how technology is transforming the car parking industry.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Much of the technology transforming the car parking industry stems from the use of ANPR. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) is a parking technology that reads vehicle number plates. The ANPR cameras are positioned at the entry and exit of your car park and take timed pictures of the vehicles entering and leaving your premises. Based on the images, the ANPR system calculates how long a car has been parked and issues Parking Charge Notice (PCN) to the overstayed vehicle.
At its simplest, ANPR allows a car park to track the time spent on-site and charge accurately for parking. ANPR systems are incredibly beneficial for car park operators as they will enable them to use photographic evidence for ticket disputes, hence resolving the issue of lost tickets. This way, ANPR technology fixes the problem of unauthorized parking and ensures car parking spaces are being efficiently used in your car park.
Notifications
With the data gathered by ANPR, you can do more than track stay duration and monitor parking abuse. You can use vehicle registrations to send push notifications to internal teams depending on your business. These notifications work by using ANPR technology to identify vehicle registrations and link them to a particular request. These notifications can then be sent to internal team members for appropriate follow-up action.
Notifications can help businesses from various sectors to provide their customers with better services. For example. Retailers can use this notification technology to power click & connect services, reducing queuing time and allowing users to arrive outside and have their stuff put in their vehicle. Healthcare sites can use notifications to understand that the appointment has come; this way, they can provide their patients with better services.
Notifications streamline the operation of internal teams and help businesses improve their car parking services.
Contactless and Cashless Payments
Over the years, the payment processes have evolved to a great extent. The introduction of numerous payment methods has increased payment flexibility. Thus, most of the customers avoid jumping to cashless or cash payments. Also, cash payment can be a little inconvenient as the customer has to decide in advance the time they will be away. That means there can be instances when they have to pay extra if they exceed the time limit.
Nevertheless, Contactless and cashless payment procedures provide motorists with increased choice and ease when paying for parking while allowing car parks to safely and securely generate extra revenue. There are myriad cashless and contactless payment options available in car parks.
Customers use their mobile phones to locate a car park, book car parking spaces and pay. Digital wallets such as Google Wallet, Apple Pay, etc., make the payment procedure convenient for customers. Car park operators have started using apps for their car parks, and consumers can use their e-wallets to make transactions.
There are now several contactless and cashless payment options available in car parks. These options include:
- Pay-by-mobile
- Contactless card payments on kiosks
- Autopay
- Pre-booking
- Virtual permits
These payment options are supported by ANPR and help enhance security for teams in a car park by eliminating the need for cash collections on-site.
Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular to protect the environment and lower carbon emissions. According to the new law announced by the UK prime minister, all new cars sold in the UK need to be electric. The world is tenaciously embracing greener ways of thinking, and the car parking industry is no exception.
Car park owners have started providing EV car charging points in their car parks. Another benefit of using car parking for EV chargers is that several car parking systems can be networked together with the use of modern technology. Information such as available slots and estimated time for the next slot can be determined; such information can make life easier.
With ANPR data, it’s easy to track the fuel types of vehicles in a car park. This insight can help car park operators access new revenue streams, thus driving margin rich revenue to a site and attracting a new pool of visitors.
How Can Euro Parking Services Help You?
Technology has completely transformed the car parking industry with its new trends. We at Euro Parking Services know how embracing technology tenaciously can significantly transform your car park business. Therefore, we will work closely with your business and provide you with services best suited to your car park. Our ANPR cameras will help you improve your car park safety and improve your site usage.
Your car park can go completely cashless with our phone parking partner, RingGo. Our team has many years of experience installing electric vehicle charging points. They are qualified and well-trained to supply and fit domestic, commercial, and workplace charging solutions to the best possible standards.