Skip to main content

New Zealand trials parking bay sensor technology

Wellington City Council in New Zealand has begun to trial Smart Parking’s bay sensor technology with the installation of an initial 72 sensors. On completion of a successful trial, which is scheduled to run to the end of April, the council plans a US$1.05 million rollout of 4,000 sensors across the inner city streets. The parking solution will also include Smart Parking’s SmartApp which will allow motorists to identify streets with available bays and avoid driving around searching for a spot on roads which
February 19, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSSWellington City Council in New Zealand has begun to trial Smart Parking’s bay sensor technology with the installation of an initial 72 sensors.  On completion of a successful trial, which is scheduled to run to the end of April, the council plans a US$1.05 million rollout of 4,000 sensors across the inner city streets.

The parking solution will also include Smart Parking’s SmartApp which will allow motorists to identify streets with available bays and avoid driving around searching for a spot on roads which are already full.

The move will allow parking wardens to get real-time information about where people are overstaying. Equipped with this information, they will have more time to guide and provide advice to motorists by helping to direct customers looking for parking to nearby available casual parking places.

The system could also provide an opportunity for ‘dynamic parking, where the price would drop as more parking spaces became available.

“Early data from the trial suggest it is very successful” council spokesman Richard MacLean said. “Sensors have already been used in New Plymouth but technology has moved on considerably, and the equipment proposed for Wellington can do much more”.

Larry Eade, Smart Parking’s New Zealand head of Operations commented “The move will make finding a parking space easier whilst reducing congestion and improving motorist satisfaction in the process”.

Related Content

  • Intertraffic Amsterdam 2016 Innovation Awards finalists
    February 1, 2016
    Smart and innovative thinking will again be awarded at the world’s largest, and best attended, trade fair for the infrastructure, traffic management, safety, parking, and smart mobility sectors, when the winners of the 2016 Intertraffic Innovation Awards are announced on 5 April during the opening ceremony.
  • Telematics standards need to evolve to keep up with technology
    July 30, 2012
    Scott Andrews and Scott McCormick take a look at how standards development for the telematics environment needs itself to evolve in order to stay abreast of technological advances. While the road has been somewhat arduous, telematics has evolved from a research activity to a resource for fleet operators, consumers and road management authorities.
  • Meeting the challenges of smartcard fare payment
    July 4, 2012
    David Crawford monitors a growing trend in contactless smartcard ticketing The north east United States has become a hive of activity in the smart fare payment arena. In October 2011, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) published, as a preliminary to an imminent procurement process, the detailed concept of its New Fare Payment System (NFPS). Based on open payment industry standards, this is designed to be implemented on all MTA bus and subway services operated by New York City Transit (
  • Siemens: smarter and easier parking
    May 20, 2012
    This year at the ITS America Annual Meeting, Siemens Industry is exhibiting its portfolio of intelligent city solutions, including regional transportation management system software, Connected Vehicle technology, Bluetooth travel time measurement software and electric vehicle infrastructure offerings.