So they were pleasantly surprised when relative newcomer ParkAid put forward a solution that not only made life easier for car park end users and operators; it also was significantly more cost-effective.
ParkAid’s solution uses a single GPS MetroLite meter at each car park’s exit point. Car park users can swipe their TfNSW public transport card as they exit, and provided they’ve used public transport within a set time period, their parking fee is reduced or waived. If they need to pay for parking, they can do so quickly and simply, using contactless payment. The MetroLite meters are integrated with Licence Plate Recognition cameras and GPS’s parking management system, Ezicom, to provide a complete parking management and enforcement solution.
“Not only are the MetroLite meters incredibly user-friendly, they’re light, simple and super-flexible - they use 4G which is a big advantage as a lot of the TfNSW sites are remote. They’re much cheaper than our competitors’ infrastructure-heavy terminals, with big onsite systems. Working with GPS means we have a significant price advantage.”
“Being able to provide options to our clients gives us a real edge. The GPS team would brainstorm three very workable solutions to every challenge we had. TfNSW have loved being able to test out different solutions in the field to see which one works best on the ground. Because the GPS team is so in control of everything - from backend to UX - they say ‘We can do anything you like’ to any request we have. You wouldn’t get that from the big European or US suppliers.”
“When TfNSW awards a contract they require the operator to have everything installed, tested and signed off within 84 days. Before we went live, their testing team was out in the field testing our equipment and calling us with any issues. GPS were able to trouble-shoot and fix issues on the spot, in real time. TfNSW later told us we were the only company ever to pass their testing the first time. Their technical team is incredibly happy with the system.”
“Our relationship with TfNSW has continued to grow. Recently, they awarded a contract to a different operator for another site, but their equipment never arrived. So TfNSWasked us if we could turn the whole project around in two-and-a-half weeks. The site had received a lot of local government and media attention, so it was critical that it opened on time. Thanks to GPS’ agility, we were able to complete the install with time to spare. All the cabling had already been built around a different system, but that wasn’t a problem because GPS’ solutions integrate really well with other technology.”
“As a newly-formed company, we’ve gone from being a relative unknown in this space to having a sought-after, best-in-class ‘transport solution’ that we’re excited to roll out to other councils around the country.”
Commercial Director, ParkAid