This article talks about pay and display type of parking. Such a system has no barriers at the entry and exit of a car park and is thus emerging as an increasingly popular and efficient way of allowing traffic in and out of car parks without any hassle. In addition, it is also a great source of generating income.
It works on the basic principle of a customer acquiring a ticket from a ticket vending machine and displaying it on a visible location on the car. Generally, the ticket consists of the car number plate number, time of entry, parking fare, location and operator of the machine. Payment is made in advance through a credit card or cash based on the estimated time going to be spent in the car park as per the rates provided. In some cases, there may be a maximum time limit of parking; customers can also pay this amount if they are unsure of the time they will be parked there for.
Advantages of Pay and Display Parking
There are quite a few advantages of using these systems over conventional parking systems, the major one being that no manual operators are required. This is a major cost saving factor for car parks that implement these systems. In addition, chances of error due to human negligence or mistakes are avoided. In some countries, CCTV cameras have been installed inside these booths to monitor the activities of these car park operators, the implementation of electronic rostering also eliminates the need for these extra safety measures.
These pay and display type of parking systems with integrated card readers, coin acceptor slots and change return capabilities eliminate the need for users to deposit the exact cash amount required, which sometimes can be a great inconvenience. Some advanced pay and display parking systems are also environmentally friendly as they solar powered. Furthermore, they also operate on a ticketless basis. This means the customer does not get a ticket from the system. Rather, at the point of entry the system captures the details of the car, its number plate and time of entry and stores all this information. At the point of exit, this the meter validates all the information for exiting the car park. In terms of convenience, an officer can just check the meter for all cars beyond their limit in parking bays. In countries with harsh weather season it does not require parkers to walk along a way to pay their ticket
Disadvantages of Pay and Display Parking
This system also has some disadvantages, for instance quite a large initial investment may be required to implement pay and display parking systems. Even though, these systems will pay back over time such an initial capital may be unaffordable to some. Some local businesses and residents might also not be willing to allow these car parks as they affect their businesses negatively. If the parking system is not ticketless, then there may also be costs for paper. Maintenance of these machines is also required regularly.
While every system has its own advantages and disadvantages, the advantages of pay and display type of parking clearly outweigh its disadvantages. Proper planning and consultation with internal and external parties can solve the issues highlighted above.
Thus, to streamline your parking flow, by integrating cutting edge technology and efficient oversight you can look up this pay and display parking solutions at http://advanceaccess.ie/car-parking/pay-and-display-parking/ . They have just the quality systems capabilities to help you achieve overall automation whilst at the same time reducing operational expenses.