Intelligent parking systems called SmartParking are being introduced by more and more European cities. Of course, right now they are mostly popular in large cities, but over time, they will appear in most major parking lots.
Statistics show that finding a free parking space in the city centre takes from 15 minutes to up to an hour. Only a small percentage of drivers declared that finding a parking space takes them less than five minutes.
How does such a system work?
To use the information on available parking spaces in the city or in a specific parking lot, you have to download a special application for your Android device. The app will show a map of the city and indicate free parking spaces with a green circle. If you want to check for spaces in a specific parking lot, just click on it.
What's more, when you select a parking space, the system’s navigation will lead you to it. The application updates every minute, allowing to easily check at any time whether a parking space is still free.
Intelligent parking systems are developing rapidly worldwide. San Francisco’s system is currently considered to be the best. It is based on sensors in parking meters and works with online payment systems and other mobile applications that allow you to pay for a parking space. It’s also interesting that the price for a particular parking space depends on the time of day, traffic and demand for parking.