Finding parking will soon be a breeze

Dubai: Finding a parking spot in Dubai will be a breeze now as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) expands its smart parking system that will help motorists locate a vacant spot through their mobile phones.

RTA launched the Smart Parking pilot project last year that saw installation of parking sensors on a stretch of Shaikh Zayed Road between The Edge Hotel and Shangri-La Hotel. The sensors allows motorists to locate a parking spot through the Smart Parking mobile application that was also launched last year.

The Smart Parking also helps make parking payments through e-wallet, bypassing the SMS system that is linked to the mobile networks and has been subject to constant complaints due to its constant glitches.

Expanding the system further the RTA has now tied with Emaar to have its malls linked with RTA’s smart parking system.

“We are glad to have Emaar on board and as a first the system will be implemented at Dubai Mall which will help motorists find which section of the mall’s parking area has vacant parking spots through the application,” said Ahmad Hashem Behroozian, CEO of RTA’s Licensing Agency.

The system will also apply to RTA’s five multi-storey car parks, helping motorists save time by going straight to the vacant parking spot.

“The app shows how many parking spots are available in a particular section of a mall or at a RTA parking building. This will help people save time and avoid congestion,” said Maitha Bin Udai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

RTA is currently evaluating the response to its pilot project on Shaikh Zayed Road and is planning to expand the system to other areas.

“We are definitely expanding the smart parking system as it saves people a lot of hassle. However, the technology we will use may not be the same. We are looking at different methods and technologies available and once we finalise that we will identify some areas to implement the next phase,” Behroozian said.

He added that congested areas like Bur Dubai, Deira, Dubai Marina and Satwa will be preferred for the next phase.

The RTA is looking to get more shopping centres on board to implement the service.

“We are targeting big malls where there is a lot of congestion. We are in talks with some of the mall managements and we can integrate with their system easily if they have the infrastructure in place,” added Maitha.

The initiative is part of RTA’s efforts to provide smart solutions to people, aligning with Dubai’s Strategy 2021 and drive to become the smartest city in the world.

Among the features of the Smart Parking app are identifying parking spots, finding out the number of free parking slots and calculating the distance between the vehicle and the nearest vacant parking space.

The app also helps remember where you have parked the car through its location service.

“The app allows you to take a snapshot of your parking spot and, through the location service on your mobile, it can identify the spot. A person can also manually feed data to remember his parking spot,” explained Maitha.

The application is updated by sensors fitted in the parking spaces as well as through Auto Number Plate Detection cameras that automatically feed the system with information about the availability of parking spaces in a given area.

Currently, the Smart Parking app sees a daily transaction of 93,000 and nearly 50 per cent of motorists now use the smart parking system to pay for parking.

The smart parking app is available on both iOS and android mobile platforms.

Around 125,000 paid parking slots are available in Dubai.