The rise of EVs and last-mile logistics presents a big opportunity for local authorities to identify car parking revenue opportunities following Covid-19, according to payment and ticketing systems provider Flowbird.
In its recently published report What Will Parking Look Like In A Post-COVID World?, the French firm looked at ways local authorities could respond to changing behaviour and sustainability goals.
It has worked with councils over the past year to access changes to parking and payment data, as well as talking to technology providers to understand changing usage patterns. Through this, Flowbird said it has identified three key opportunities, and the associated challenges for local authorities to maximise opportunities from parking space.
This included managing digitalisation, using parking to encourage EV adoption and finding alternative uses for under-utilised spaces.
According to the company, too many parking apps cause issues for councils and they need to embrace interoperable standards and payment systems. The digital apps must also link to physical infrastructure that checks people are using spaces and charging as they say they are. Flowbird also stressed councils need to ensure no customer is “left behind” ensuring physical payment terminals co-exist with digital solutions as long as customers require them.
Furthermore, the company said deploying EV charging into parking spaces was the top issue for many councils, adding the big challenge was balancing investment with demand. The key for many being building in flexibility by laying the infrastructure now, then adding charge points as they are needed.
Last mile logistics was also quoted as an opportunity for local councils. “These vast logistical operations need hubs to manage local distribution and places to park and charge fleets of increasingly electric vehicles”, said Paul McCormack founder of Infinium Logistics, a contributor to the report.
Car parks are the perfect place for such hubs according to the report, with opportunities for nested overnight spaces for electric fleet charging, replacing empty spaces with lockers, and even converting empty car parks into e-fulfilment sites.
The report advises that making all this work needs to combine digital, data and physical infrastructure to evolve car parks so that they remain valuable community resources – and revenue generators – in the short and long term.
