Parking & Access Control

Tolling specialist Q-Free has signed multiple contracts with an unnamed customer in the US. The company says it will therefore reduce pollution caused by drivers searching for parking spaces. The 29 million NOK (£2.5m) contract includes the delivery of ultra-sonic single space sensors, intelligent signage, a suite of statistical reports and an application programming interface tool to show real-time parking availability. Håkon Volldal, Q-Free’s president and CEO, says: “This contract is a substantial con

Nedap has launched two automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras for vehicle access control applications. The company says its advanced ANPR Lumo uses deep learning algorithms to capture number plates which include different font formats. The ANPR Access V2, a successor of Nedap’s ANPR Access, is expected to offer improved performance while being compatible with existing installations. Both cameras integrate parking and traffic management systems as well as third-party security systems using

UK congestion is getting worse, in part due to the influx of deliveries coming into cities. At a roundtable discussion in London, software provider Passport examined new ways in which local authorities can work together to better manage the kerb. Ben Spencer listens in Competition for kerb space is one of the major conundrums of modern urban mobility. Some authorities are being creative about it, but good practice is not widespread. “There are individual pockets of good work going on with cities who a

Intelligent Imaging Systems (ISS) is providing US state departments of transportation with smart parking solutions for trucks at rest stops. The technology was installed in Ohio as part of the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials initiative, which unites eight Midwestern states via a Regional Truck Parking Information Management System (TPIMS). ISS says in-ground sensors were fitted at 18 rest stops along Interstates 70, 75 and US Route 33 to provide information on how many parking sp

Moovit is adding SpotHero’s parking facilities to its multimodal trip planner in a bid to make commuting easier in the San Francisco Bay Area. Moovit says users will be able to find parking facilities nearest to their transit station, removing the need to circle for parking. Yovav Meydad, Moovit chief growth and marketing officer, says: “Commuters can help reduce congestion simply by parking at transit hubs, and riding public transit for the ‘last mile’ of their trip.” The partnership will help u

Dynamic kerbside management is crucial if urban authorities are to address increasingly chaotic situations caused by the gig economy and mobility innovation, says Adam Warnes at Passport Demand for the kerbside is growing and changing and it’s no surprise when you consider the recent innovations within the mobility industry. For starters, there are new modes of transport, including ride-shares, electric vehicles (EVs), dockless cycles, last-mile consolidations and autonomous vehicles (AVs). Secondly, the

Cotares, which specialises in software for navigation and mapping, has added a tool to encourage the development of smart parking solutions to its public developer site. The firm says Parking Tours is designed for the developers of route finding and guidance systems to change their offering from ‘A-to-B’ into ‘A-to-park-near-B’ where on-street parking is available. The company suggests that route guidance can be augmented by an optimised parking search (a ‘Tour’) that adapts to driver preferences, parking

Videalert’s CCTV cameras are being used by Blackburn with Darwin Council in north west England to tackle dangerous parking at a nearby red route. The cameras are located on the A678 at Copy Nook on the Furthergate Link Road, a route which was widened under the Pennine Reach Scheme to help improve the flow of bus traffic between Hyndburn, Blackburn and Darwen. Videalert says its low-cost Digital Video Platform will deliver this enforcement via a single lamp post-mounted processor which is equipped w

As sales of electric vehicles accelerate, the growth of charging infrastructure is in need of a big boost. Graham Anderson reports on whether Europe is up to it. Utilities, technology companies and vehicle manufacturers are battling to put in place new charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe in response to a predicted dramatic surge in demand. Market experts believe that rapidly falling battery costs – which make up about one third of the costs of an electric car – and growing

APT Skidata claims its new ticketless solution using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) will provide drivers with faster and easier access to parking. The Austrian company, a joint venture between Swarco and Skidata, says its platform is suited for operators offering an initial free parking period. The device can replace paper tickets or radio frequency identification cards and uses a vehicle number plate as the access medium or virtual ticket. It is intended to remove issues caused by lost or damag