Swarco Traffic implements VMS parking guidance system at major retail centre

Swarco Traffic has installed a new parking guidance system at one of Northern Ireland’s premier shopping centres, Abbey Centre, Belfast. A combination of seven variable message signs (VMS) and seven car parking count sensors were commissioned and installed as part of the contract. The technologies combine to alert visitors to where spaces are available, helping to reduce congestion and improve convenience. Abbey Centre attracts some 115,000 visitors every week, and provides 1,265 free car parking spaces. Th
May 26, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
129 Swarco Traffic has installed a new parking guidance system at one of Northern Ireland’s premier shopping centres, Abbey Centre, Belfast.


A combination of seven variable message signs (VMS) and seven car parking count sensors were commissioned and installed as part of the contract. The technologies combine to alert visitors to where spaces are available, helping to reduce congestion and improve convenience. Abbey Centre attracts some 115,000 visitors every week, and provides 1,265 free car parking spaces.

The signs and sensors were strategically installed both outside and inside the car park to direct drivers appropriately. The sensors also automatically report to the relevant VMS on how many spaces are available at each of the centre’s car parks.

Additionally, Swarco implemented its PGS Management software that communicates directly to the centre’s management via GPRS. Key strategic information is made available to inform the client’s decision making, and ensuring they are aware of the centre’s peak times, so that the messages displayed can be amended accordingly.

Air Quality & Weather Systems Parking & Access Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • What's next for traffic management and data collection?
    January 26, 2012
    As the technologies and stakeholders in traffic management evolve, what can we expect to see happening in the coming years? For many, the conversation of the moment is just how, and how far, the newer technologies and services provided principally by the private sector should be allowed to intrude into the realms of traffic management.
    Read More
  • New Mersey crossing ends Halton’s congestion misery
    December 5, 2017
    Plagued by intolerable congestion but denied government funding for its solution, tiny Halton Borough Council relentlessly pursued its vision and achieved what many believed impossible. Halton may be a small local authority in north west England, but it had a big traffic problem. However, as the road, or more particularly the bridge, involved was not deemed a strategic route, central government would not commission or even fund a solution - a problem that many other local authorities will recognise.
    Read More
  • Open communication platform to support cooperative infrastructure
    July 23, 2012
    Within the European Commission's CVIS project, work is going on to shrink the open vehicle communication platform to make it more market-ready and to remove barriers to the creation of appropriate applications by those external to the project. Here, ERTICO's Zeljko Jeftic and Paul Kompfner and Q-Free's Knut Evensen discuss progress. Development of the open communication platform which will support the various applications developed by the European Commission's (EC's) Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure Syste
    Read More
  • Swarco McCain adds VMS to Virginia
    December 19, 2022
    Signs can be run by AC or DC power, plus six of them are off-grid and solar powered
    Read More

Highlighted Content