With the increasing demand for car parks in every sector, ensuring all the cars are fitted effectively has become extremely important. However, there are instances when finding an empty spot in a huge car park gets difficult. This makes the entire parking process frustrating as motorists have to spend considerable time driving around a car park aimlessly, looking for a vacant space to park their vehicles.
Nevertheless, technology advancements have provided a solution to this hassle known as Parking Guidance System. These systems are designed specifically for motorists to find their way through the car park. This way, parking guidance systems facilitate a safer and more efficient parking process.
What is a Parking Guidance System?
A Parking Guidance System is a form of technology that provides motorists with real-time information concerning the availability and occupation of parking spots in a car parking facility. It acts as an advanced car counting or vehicle detection technology that facilitates vehicle circulation within a car park. It provides dynamic data to facilitate vehicle circulation within a car park. Although these are typically seen in multi-storey car parks, they can be used in different locations too.
These systems use a few different components to maximize their usage, from communication to traffic monitoring, to Variable Message Signs (VMS).
Some parking guidance systems also provide specific information on unoccupied parking spots. For instance, along with how many vacant parking spaces are available, it will also indicate where those parking spots are located. With the help of this information, motorists can find the open spaces more quickly.
Parking guidance systems also come with a “Find Your Car” option that helps motorists locate their parked vehicle at the time of returning. Motorists need to type in their vehicle plate number, and the system will inform them where their vehicle has been parked.
Key Components of Parking Guidance Systems
There are a few different parts that make up a parking guidance system, and the majority of systems need these components to operate at maximum efficiency.
- Signs: the usage of parking signage is a core part of helping people find an open space in a car parking structure. They often provide the information at entry, and throughout your parking journey.
- Detectors: the technology that dictates if there is a car in a space, this can be a few different variations. But basically has the ability to know when a car is in the space and when it has left it.
- Indicators: these will typically be the LED lights above an empty spot that highlight or ‘indicate’ where you can park. As a rule of thumb, green is used for a vacant spot, and red for an unavailable space.
- Control Systems: this is the hub where the information is gathered and distributed to the different elements. Collecting the data about cars and free parking spots, passing it onto the signs and thus the drivers.
- Network Link: the type of technology can differ from model to model, but the core premise is that the whole system and parking spaces are linked so they can all communicate real-time data.
Parking Guidance system can be used not only within a single parking facility, but also on a certain area with parking access control, in order to direct drivers to car parks where occupancy levels are low. The goal is to reduce search time, which in turn decreases traffic congestion, with related benefits to air pollution.
Parking Guidance systems are also powerful tools for parking operators. Through yield management and dynamic pricing they can adjust the parking tariffs based on supply and demand, or other business criteria, such as loyalty initiatives.
Typically, dynamic pricing is based on the parking occupancy: it is enabled by PGS and software, taking into account real-time changes in demand and supply of parking spaces. However, it can also be activated by different factors based on the business requirements, enacted by the operator.
Dynamic pricing in parking is believed to be one of the cornerstones of smart parking, as it offers a very actionable, technology-enabled way to measure demand and adjust prices accordingly.
At Al-Shareef Security Company, we provide various efficient solutions to cater to the needs and requirements of your car park. By making your car parking facility more accessible, you can enhance your customers’ parking experience.
Al-Shareef Security Company contact details:
Phone: 00966 50 7756654 00966 55 0400789
E-mail: info@alshareef.org
