In many cosmopolitan cities, parking in the central areas can pose a challenge. Be it heading out for an official meeting, coffee, a movie or a dinner date, you need to plan well ahead, so you do not lose time looking for a parking spot. Author of the book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do, Tom Vanderbilt quotes, “The way humans hunt for parking and the way animals hunt for food are not as different as you might think.”
Just finding a parking spot does not end the process of parking. With mechanical parking meters, one needs to insert coins and turn the handle, then a timer starts the countdown. The system was not dynamic enough to suit the user’s needs. Electronic Digital Parking Meters consume lesser time and brings in the much-needed flexibility that the mechanical counterparts lack.
Technology Used
Every electronic digital parking meter system works on the principle of detecting signals every time a vehicle enters or leaves the parking spot. These signals reach the electronic parking meter either by an induction coil underneath the parking space, which sends signals to the parking meter, or by infra-red beams that detect the presence of a vehicle. Another method of detecting vehicle entry and exit is by use of ultrasonic systems, which send vehicle data to the electronic parking meter. The drawbacks of using a light beam and ultra sonic beam are that the sensor in the meter may behave erratically when it senses any other object in the parking spot. There is a controller within the meter that records the time and accepts payment.
Why Use a Digital Parking Meter?
The electronic parking meter system requires its users to carry change (coins) around. The inconvenience caused due to lack of the right change can be infuriating. Electronic digital parking meter systems, on the other hand, accepts meter cards or debit cards making it a preferred option. These meter cards can be bought at the parking office. The digital system takes the time input from the user, and if the parking space was not used for the entire time, the proportionate amount is refunded. This not only gives flexibility to the user, but also prevents a parking ticket.
Preferred Enhancements
Electronic digital parking meters can be further enhanced to support different formats of inputs with the basic one being that of time as in the case of “pay-and-display,” “pay-on-entry” or pay-on-exit.”. Enhanced systems allow the use of the parking slot numbers or the vehicle license plate numbers as access control inputs for payments; hence, they are called “pay-by-space” and “pay-by-license” respectively. Pay by space is a more preferred option in very large parking areas, while pay by license reduces costs of maintaining parking slots and helps prevent revenue loss due to fraud as license plate numbers are unique to the vehicle.
Governments and other institutions have realized that parking fee collections amount to huge revenues and investing in better systems help reduce parking staff costs, maintenance costs and frauds. The electronic digital parking meters are a reality in many big cities and will soon replace the mechanical and electronic meters eventually; a significant evolution in the parking industry.
