PRESS RELEASE: NO BARRIERTO CASHLESS
Posted on 16 May 2017
Parkmobile UK today (16 May) reports on two successful barrier car parking implementations operating cashlessly within the UK. Both offer the same practical benefits of standard phone parking: motorists pay to park quickly and easily by credit or debit card without having to carry pocketfuls of coins or queue at a machine.
In a collaboration with new UK entrant ParkBee, Parkmobile customers can now pay to park in two barrier facilities in London. Customers simply use the Parkmobile app when they arrive at the car park and press a button on the app to open and close the barrier. The charge for parking, between entering and leaving the car park, is automatically charged via Parkmobile.
The solution uses ParkBee’s proprietorial solution - a small piece of kit which is easily added to the barrier, enabling it to be automatically raised and lowered. This system is widely used across the Netherlands, again in conjunction with Parkmobile.
An alternative solution operates in Torquay, where ANPR technology combines with voice activation to enable drivers to park. When a vehicle enters the barrier car park, their registration is read by ANPR. Parkmobile customers are recognised and, once they have parked, a short call is made to the registered mobile phone asking if they would like to pay cashlessly. If the motorist presses 1 to accept, a parking session is started.
When the vehicle reaches the exit of the car park, the system recognises that payment is in place and the barrier opens automatically, allowing the motorist to leave. A charge is made for the parking duration using the payment card held on the Parkmobile account. This seamless service has been developed in conjunction with Newpark Solutions.
Peter O’Driscoll, Country Manager for Parkmobile UK, says of the two solutions, “Cashless parking has been in operation for 14 years for pay and display parking within the UK, but we’ve found it difficult to provide the same benefits to motorists in barrier car parks, mostly because of protectionism within that marketplace.
“Our ‘start/stop’ Parkmobile solution really is ideal for this type of ‘pay on foot’ offering. These two ground breaking implementations show that fixed installations are literally no barrier to entry. We look forward to extending these and similar innovations across the country.”
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About Parkmobile
The Parkmobile Group is the world’s largest provider of cashless parking, with offerings in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK and the USA. In the UK, 10 million motorists are registered to use cashless parking through Parkmobile or its sister service, RingGo.
Working with ParkBee
The UK collaboration between ParkBee and Parkmobile follows on from successful joint working in the Netherlands where 36 locations offer a similar solution. ParkBee was founded in 2013 and developed its cloud based smart technology (which makes it possible to open barrier car parks), through an ESA Incubation Centre. After a year of successful operation within the Netherlands, the company opened an office in London in October 2016.
Working with Newpark Solutions
The Parkmobile-integrated, ANPR barrier operated car park in Torquay, is the first of its kind within the UK and allows motorists that are registered with Parkmobile to pay for their parking quickly and easily without using coins.
Newpark have been offering car parking solutions for over 4 years. They have 60 sites within the UK including Hampton Court Palace and the Queen Elizabeth Park (Olympic Park redevelopment), shopping centres, universities, NHS and Forestry Commission sites as well as numerous local authorities.
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