Cardiff City Council has unveiled plans to install smart parking bays across the city centre. It will be the first citywide installment of infrared parking sensors in Europe.
The sensors are placed in the ground and relay information about whether parking spaces are empty every second. Drivers will be able to use a free app to locate and monitor available parking spaces in the city centre.
A pilot was launched in 2015 covering 275 parking bays across the city. In the next ten years, this will increase to more than 3,000 public parking bays in the city centre.
Cardiff City Council’s sustainable Transport Strategy aims to encourage more people to cycle, walk and use public transport.
However, Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Sustainability, Councillor Ramesh Patel says “We recognise that there are going to be commuters who need to use their cars, and what we are trying to do is help them park up quickly and reduce the congestion in the city. The air quality will definitely be improved if people can find parking a lot quicker.”
Jim Short, the Sales Manager for Smart Parking Technology, says the main aim “is to help reduce congestion, reduce CO2 and help motorists save fuel by finding parking spaces quicker.”
He advised that drivers should use the application “when either stationary or use a phone cradle as they would with a sat nav.”
