Automated Parking Systems: solution for urban India’s parking woes.

Across Indian cities, there’s been an explosion in the number of cars on the road. But what about a proportional increase in parking spaces?

Today, so often, we avoid going to certain areas because there’s no parking available. Or every now and then, we spend precious minutes driving around in circles looking for a parking spot. Or we simply wait with idling engine for someone to vacate a parking spot. It’s precious time and fuel we can hardly afford to waste.

Scarcity of land in our cities is an unavoidable reality and optimal usage is a dire need. Environmental sustainability is an issue too. Systematic, planned, automated parking systems (APS) can provide a solution.

What is APS and how does it help?

According to Wikipedia, "an Automated (car) Parking System (APS) is a mechanical system designed to minimize the area and/or volume required for parking cars". It works like an automated storage and retrieval systems common in factories and warehouses…except it’s designed for cars.

Compared to conventional multi-storey car parks, automated parking systems offer undeniable advantages. Automated parking systems require up to 70% less land area and up to 50% smaller building volume. It is estimated that these systems reduce CO2 emissions by up to 85% as they eliminate the need for cars to keep idling or driving around when they search for parking space.

Safety is another important advantage of using automated parking systems. That’s because the driver and passengers are removed from the car before it is parked. With fully automated or semi-automated APS, the car is driven up to an entry point, the driver and passengers alight, and the car is then moved automatically or semi-automatically (with some attendant action required) to its parking space. Moreover, there are no pedestrians, ramps or driving lanes, so APS is safer, more secure.

Feasibility of Automated Parking Systems

Today, car parking has a direct effect on the feasibility of a real estate project. Whether it is a residential complex, infrastructure project or commercial centre, buyers demand adequate parking space. Automated parking systemsprove advantageous by virtue of their feasibility and flexibility. They can be built in areas where conventional parking won’t fit. Above ground, underground, freestanding, integrated into existing buildings or even in narrow, irregularly shaped areas, APS can be installed.

A multi-level parking system results in optimum space utilization as multiple cars can be parked in the same amount of space. It also comes with lower maintenance, operational, and construction costs. It leaves more open spaces for landscaping and greenery, and reduces illegal or haphazard parking.

Conclusion

Urban India needs smart parking and strict enforcement. Conventional parking is neither feasible nor practical. Smart Parking accommodates a larger number of cars in smaller space, and reduces instances of vehicular emissions as the time wasted in searching for a parking space is omitted. By utilizing vertical rather than horizontal space, automated parking systemsenable optimal utilization of existing and new spaces. In fact, as demand for parking space increases and we strive to convert our old cities into ‘smart cities’, automated parking systems becomes imperative.

An automated parking systems company like Wohr Parking Systems can help. Wohr has over 5 decades of experience and more than 600,000 multilevel parking installations to their credit. Wohr’s Combiparker and Slimparker series of automatic parking systems deliver easy operations and a high level of operating and functional safety according to EN norms. Wohr also partners and consults to recommend, design and develop the most suitable parking system for individual needs.

To know more, www.wohrparking.in