Happy New Year!
2020. A new year, a new decade, and an opportunity to consider the future of car parks. One of the key considerations for cities is to embrace tech-focused, future-proof solutions as the ‘smart’ revolution gathers steam. Virtually every aspect of urban infrastructure is looking to upgrade to a more efficient, intuitive and environmentally-friendly future, and car parks are no exception.
Out with the old and in with the new
We’ve seen motorways become smart motorways, and phones become smartphones. The way drivers pay to park in car parks is long overdue for a 21st century upgrade. In many car parks across the UK the primary way to pay is still to put exact change into a pay & display machine. The disadvantages of maintaining systems like these are clear.
- They are outdated and unable to adapt to changing environments
- They are vulnerable to vandalism and theft
- They malfunction and require regular maintenance
- They’re non eco-friendly and generate needless waste
Even the pay-by-phone solutions feel like a stop-gap, with their own weaknesses as long-term solutions for customer parking. Drivers can become frustrated with pulling out their smartphone every time they park. There can be issues with the apps that make it difficult to pay. And in some locations, like underground car parks, the lack of reception means they simply aren’t a viable option.
Whilst they are definitely an improvement on physical cash, they really only serve certain genres of people lack a level of inclusivity that all technological advancements should consider. No smart phone? No problem.
What’s next for parking?
It’s a great time to consider what car parks will look like over the next decade. How will they change, and what infrastructure will need to be in place. Hozah provides a Zero Touch Payments service, an automated payment system for car parks to complement their existing and future infrastructure. Drivers sign-up once providing their VRM and payment details and are billed automatically each time they use any Hozah-enabled car parks. Without the need for physical cash collection and sifting through a catalogue of apps it’s a fully inclusive and future-proof system for car parks to adopt.
With technology evolving fast, it’s inevitable that parking and mobility will see a seismic shift to agile technologies over the next 10 years. It’s an exciting time to adopt some of these advancements and ride the wave as the industry changes for the better.