The FlashPark ticket comes embedded with a 30 second audio message which lets private landowners leave motorists a voice message rather than a fine. Image: FlashPark
The FlashPark ticket comes embedded with a 30 second audio message which lets private landowners leave motorists a voice message rather than a fine. Image: FlashPark
Anyone that’s parked in a busy city centre car park will be all too familiar with the drill: hunt desperately for a space, park, take the ticket, then get annoyed at how much your parking costs. It doesn’t look like the number of drivers fighting over spaces will decrease anytime soon either - Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. estimates that the number of cars on the road could go from 800 million to nearly 3 billion by 2050.
Technology is moving fast: so surely the future of UK parking has more to offer than an endless hunt for over-priced spaces? We’ve provided a rundown of some recent inventions that could change the future of parking:
The last thing anyone wants to see when they arrive at their car is a parking ticket. But FlashPark are looking to produce 'talking parking tickets' which may be a little more pleasant to receive. The ticket comes embedded with a 30 second audio message which lets private landowners leave motorists a voice message rather than a fine. We’re not sure if this will dramatically change the future of UK parking, but if this invention means less fines then we’ll take it!
Trying to find a space in the city centre is enough to make most drivers head straight to their nearest out-of-town shopping centre. The Parker App from Streetline aims to make finding parking spaces much easier. Parking sensors are placed in parking bays and motorists can be directed to the space via voice-commands on their phone. This could make life easier for motorists and could help cut vehicle emissions. It’s currently being trialled by Manchester City Council, so watch this space!
Los Angeles have installed parking space sensors and smart meters from Streetline to track the occupancy of parking spaces throughout one of its most congested cities - Hollywood. The meters allow users to pay with their mobile phones and the sensors allow the city to adjust its tariffs depending on factors such as current demand. This saves motorists having to find change for a meter and allows people to save cash if they choose off-peak times to park.
Park Assist claims that their system will allow drivers to spend 50% less time searching for their vehicle (we’ve all been there – car parks are a maze). Cameras are installed in the car park and when you leave your car a photo of your registration plate is taken – you can then use your smartphone or the payment machine to check where you parked.
We’re not sure ‘talking parking tickets’ are going to solve our parking woes but we'd definitely welcome being able to pay by our phone, or an app that helps us find a space quicker. In the meantime, we’ll need to settle with our parking sensors to help guide us into spaces.
