Vietnam News reported that the city administration of Hanoi is exploring the use of software and automation technology to manage public parking zones in the city. The Hanoi People’s Committee has approved a pilot programme which would involve digital mapping of car parking areas in the city, the use of management software, and the installation of cameras to record vehicle registration plates at car parking areas.
All information relating to car parks will be available online, and car owners will be able to find and book parking spaces in advance on their devices such as smart phones and tablets.
Parking sensors will be installed on the roads or in speed bumps to automatically measure the cars’ sizes and parking time in order to determine the parking fee. The smart technology will enable vehicle owners to park their cars without help from parking staff.
The plan was developed and implemented by the Hanoi Car Park Exploitation Company. The company was asked to study and develop the plan last September to use ICT improve traffic management, as part of initiatives for converting Hanoi into a smart city. The company will pilot the project at two car parking zones.
Deputy Director of the company, Phạm Van Duc, explained in an interview that the scheme will be implemented in 4 steps. The first step would be to mapp parking facilities all over the city area, followed by the installation of sensors for recording data and electronic signage in the parking spots to display information. The next steps would be to install management software, network controls and sharing information with customers and finally bringing it all together for completing implementation.
Currently, car owners in Hanoi often struggle to find suitable parking spaces, and have to pay high fees. The smart system could automate all public parking zones. tracking parking times and handling fee collection, improving conditions for car owners and management efficiency.
Mr. Phạm Van Duc also outlined potential challenges in the the implementation of the project. In terms of policy, at the moment. parking areas are granted permission to operate for between three and six months. The companies would find it difficult to recover the investment cost for the new technology, in the absence of a longer period of stable operations, for a period of at least 5 years.
Also, parking areas are currently managed by different agencies. Some parking areas are managed by the municipal Department of Transport, while some others are managed by authorities of local districts. In addition on, the companies would need to work with the banks for charging the parking fees.
The pilot project will be reviewed and based on the implementation report, the city authorities, will decide on subsequent steps.
Read the report on Việt Nam News (published by the Vietnam News Agency, the news service of the government of Vietnam) here.
Featured image: Andrea Schaffer/CC BY 2.0
