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

  • Smartphone solution for parking performance
    March 31, 2017
    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.
  • Smartphone solution for parking performance
    March 31, 2017
    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.
  • Electronic car park signs aid Wellington’s drivers
    October 17, 2012
    Wellington City Council in New Zealand has installed new electronic signs designed to help road users find available parking spaces. Five signs located around the city provide real time information to advise drivers of the number of available spaces in nearby car parks. The technology behind the signs is proven and used in Auckland and other main centres around New Zealand. Car park operators Wilson Parking, Care Park and Tournament worked in partnership with the council to get the new signs up and running
  • Xerox makes transportation simple
    May 16, 2012
    To many, Xerox is nothing more than the ‘copy company’. For those who know better, they are now the largest provider of transportation services to governments around the world. Xerox is appearing in all sorts of unexpected places after their acquisition of Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) in 2010 and dropping the ACS name earlier this year. To help establish the company as a key player in the intelligent transportation world, Xerox chairman and CEO Ursula Burns will be the featured speaker at the 2012 ITS