The city of Cardiff, Wales will soon see Europe’s first city-wide deployment of bay sensor technology. The new system will transform the parking experience with the installation of over 3000 infrared vehicle detection sensors, the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology at off-street parking lots across the city, the installation of variable message signage that directs drivers to available parking, and the introduction of SmartApp, a real-time parking availability and guidance smartphone app. Bay sensor technology uses smart sensors in parking bays to sense occupancy and increase effective use parking space and ANPR will make physical parking permits redundant.
Councellor Ramesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Sustainability, said, “The City Council’s primary focus is to encourage public transport, cycling and walking and encouraging people to leave their cars at home. We do understand that sometimes traveling by car is necessary, either because public transport routes are not available or viable. This technology will ensure that people traveling by private car are able to find their car parking space quickly and easily. This will have a number of benefits, notably helping in our aim to reduce congestion and improve air quality levels in the city center.”
The new parking system, delivered by Smart Parking Limited, will also incorporate a back office processing and analysis platform, SmartRep, will provide better intelligence on parking activity in the city’s parking facilities.
Paul Gillespie, Smart Parking CEO, commented, “The launch of Smart Parking technology in Cardiff highlights the growing importance of smart city technology to not only manage parking but to also equip city operators who perform smart city IoT planning with accurate data and insight in order to radically change the way cities operate.”
