Skip to main content

Heathrow airport upgrades car park systems

APCOA Parking UK, operator of of Heathrow Airport’s parking facilities, has chosen APT Skidata, to re-equip nine staff car parks and refresh a further 1,580-space short stay multi-storey commercial passenger car parks serving Heathrow’s Terminal 3 (T3). Within the staff car parks, which need to accommodate 34,000 employees and currently use multiple parking systems, APT SkiData is installing its Column.Lite entrance systems at entry lanes, equipping them with radio frequency identification devices (RFID)
December 1, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
4221 APCOA Parking UK, operator of of Heathrow Airport’s parking facilities, has chosen 1774 APT Skidata, to re-equip nine staff car parks and refresh a further 1,580-space short stay multi-storey commercial passenger car parks serving Heathrow’s Terminal 3 (T3).

Within the staff car parks, which need to accommodate 34,000 employees and currently use multiple parking systems, APT SkiData is installing its Column.Lite entrance systems at entry lanes, equipping them with radio frequency identification devices (RFID). This will enable drivers to use an access card to tap-in and out, ensuring the car park operator knows who has parked and for how long, optimising space capacity.

For the short stay multi-storey car parks, which need to manage a high volume of vehicles and a quick turnaround APCOA Parking UK, in conjunction with Heathrow Airport’s Commercial management team, has opted for a combination of Column.Gate and Barrier.Gate systems across the six entrance and seven exit lanes.

The two technologies work together to allow smooth and easy access. They integrate with a dynamic guidance safety feature that illuminates a red or green arrow to indicate when it is available to enter. They also integrate with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) to increase security and prevent tailgating. For ease of payment, nine Power.Cash and three Credit.Cash systems will also be installed.

APT Skidata will also incorporate hi-resolution pinhole cameras to all of the newly installed equipment. These integrate with the latest Parker Logic 8 management software, which centralises the monitoring of all parking systems for better overall control, so that customers can directly speak to an operator when assistance is required.

Related Content

  • July 26, 2012
    Technology advances improve enforcement
    Across the board, technology is being brought to bear to improve the efficiency of enforcement. Bus lane monitoring, parking and controlled access have all benefited from systems introduced in recent months. While speed and red light infringements tend to attract the most attention, there remain several other areas of enforcement where automation can bring significant operational and efficiency benefits. Lane monitoring and access control also continue to benefit from technological development.
  • October 26, 2012
    Heathrow set to trial electric vehicles
    London’s Heathrow airport is to trial a fleet of electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, Peugeot iOn, Vauxhall Ampera and the Renault Kangoo ZE, to test the viability of electric power-trains used in the highly demanding context of daily airport operations. Heathrow Airport, which supports a potential switch to zero-emission ground based vehicles, British Airways, LSG SkyChefs and Gate Gourmet will be using the electric vehicles within their normal fleet to better understand the suitability or otherwi
  • October 8, 2015
    Q-Free highlights the advantages of barrier-less parking
    Q-Free is highlighting the power of ‘cross pollination’ in Bordeaux and its smart parking exhibit on its stand at World Congress is a prime example. The system uses ANPR to record vehicles entering and exiting a car park without the use of a barrier and offers cashless payment for account holders.
  • March 31, 2017
    Smartphone solution for parking performance
    Automated parking offers optimised space utilisation and fewer damage complaints as David Crawford discovers. As cars become smarter, technology designed to make parking them more straightforward is developing in parallel. In turn, it is becoming clear that the places where vehicles spend much of their time will need to respond – more comprehensively than by supporting established aids such as smartphone-based parking location and reservation, or payment for time used.