(DRAFT 2) SUMMARY READER RESPONSE ABOUT SMART PARKING SYSTEMS (REVISED)

In the article “ IoT based Smart Parking Systems for Smart Cities,” hiOTron.com (n.d) claims that the adoption of the automated smart parking management system is crucial in the modern environment. They supported it with recent research that, “30% of the traffic in urban areas is generated by drivers and motorists looking for parking spaces”. Smart Parking system uses sensors instruments to identify the occupancy of the parking lots and to transmit scanned data to the database in real-time. Consequently, drivers will be able to determine if there is an available parking slot through the app. It can be adopted in most urban parking spaces and managed by a programmable logic controller (PLC). However, hiOtron.com state that there will be many challenges such as high upfront costs, enforcement and inconvenience for tourists. To summarise, the benefits such as improved traffic and reduced management cost are worth the challenge. While I admit that the smart parking system does have a flaw, such as an inconvenience from long retrieval time during peak hours, I do feel it is crucial to the current urban environment due to the impeccable benefits. 

 

A smart parking system may cause hindrance to drivers during peak hours. From Cheong(2016), the “mechanised HDB carpark” system has mixed reactions and feelings from the users. There have been multiple complaints about the long collection time of vehicles during peak hours. The users have reported that it would take above 30 minutes during lunch hours to collect their cars, could take even longer than usual if the owner is late for collection and not retrieved according to the queue number. Other users find it a nuisance to access to their vehicle to retrieve missed belongings after parking. Cheong has also quoted that some experts commented that it might not be as efficient for places areas with “high vehicle volume and turnover.” Nevertheless, there are also compliments from the users, ranging from higher footfall for the retails, to lesser congestions caused by cars queuing for parking lots. 

 

Despite the flaws, smart parking technology can result in multiple economic and environmental benefits. According to Krishnamurthy and Ngo (2019), they reported that the usage of a smart parking program (SFpark) has led to an increase in public transport ridership. The increment was due to the function of on-demand pricing for parking spaces during peak hours. Due to the higher parking cost, it has discouraged the usage of private transport in the city of San Francisco. SFpark has also induced a ‘temporal substitution pattern’ in terms of traffic usage and lighter congestions due to a reduction in traffic volume. Subsequently, the drop in congestion and traffic usage has generated lesser emissions, leading to environmental benefits summing up to US$ 3.8 mil and economic benefits of up to US$31.5 million. In short, the source has supported my claims regarding the numerous benefits of an organisation or the environment can achieve after implementation.

 

A smart automatic mechanical underground parking system is one of the most efficient and intelligent parking system available. Goel, Singh and Zhao (2012) elaborated that this parking system consumes the least amount of land space to realise and through the construction of multi-stories above or under the ground level. This parking system saves up to two-thirds of land used when compared to a conventional multi-storey parking space. It is also safer because it mitigates the risk of theft and vandalism, and “thoroughly reliable” as it is monitored by a command centre around the clock. Moreover, it will even minimise human errors as the car is automatically parked. They even state one can even build a miniature underground parking system under streets, which will then benefit “traffic circulation” and diminish “environmental pollution” around housing estates. In summary, a smart automatic mechanical underground parking system is very technologically advanced and have multiple benefits, such as saving land space, keeping vehicles safe and secure and can benefit traffic in most of the residential or commercial estate.

 

In conclusion, although the smart parking system does have some weaknesses and challenges to be adopted widely, I believe it is a very feasible solution and to be encouraged in most urban environments due to the countless benefits after adoption.

 

References:

Cheong, D. (2016, February 19). Mechanised carpark comes online at Changi village, but expect delays during peak time. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/mechanised-carparks-come-online-at-changi-village-bukit-panjang-and-yishun

 

Goel, R. K., Singh, B., & Zhao, J. (2012). Underground infrastructures: Planning, design, and construction. Butterworth-Heinemann,103-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-397168-5.00007-9

 

IoT based smart parking systems for smart cities. (2020, February 14). HIOTRON. https://www.hiotron.com/smart-parking/

Krishnamurthy, C. K., & Ngo, N. S. (2019). The effects of smart-parking on transit and traffic: Evidence from SFpark. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 99, 102273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2019.102273