Why LPR Needs to Make its Way into Your Parking Program’s Budget
8.6 min read
Published on Parking Industry Insights
The parking and mobility industry is changing. Frictionless solutions are on the rise, allowing your customers to get from point A to Z with little to no physical touchpoints. As we move beyond standard parking systems and into the future of parking experiences, it is time for organizations to switch towards frictionless solutions that will mitigate risk while creating a seamless journey.
The first step? Make way for your parking infrastructure's licence plate recognition (LPR) technology.
So why is licence plate recognition essential to include in your business case? LPR technology is a powerful tool that fosters secure and automatic access control, streamlines parking enforcement and provides valuable data insights for parking program optimization—all while using a vehicle licence plate as a credential. The technology can be deployed to satisfy various use cases, making it a viable solution for gated- and non-gated parking facilities, bringing forth enhanced customer experiences and more innovative business intelligence.
As LPR requires significant investment from both a resource and budgetary standpoint, we are sharing eight proven facts that will help you secure stakeholder buy-in for LPR in your next parking program's fiscal budget.
1. Licence plate recognition fuels frictionless parking access and control.
LPR technology can be used in both gated and non-gated parking facilities. When paired with gated parking systems, access to and from the parking lot is controlled with a fixed licence plate recognition device (either wall-mounted or in an enclosed cabinet) installed at each entry and exit lane.
When vehicles approach the gate, their licence plate is detected, read and approved for access. Entry gates automatically open once the fixed in-lane LPR camera records and stores the following information: licence plate number and image, vehicle entry time and rate, and in some cases, the make, model and colour of the car. Once the vehicle enters the lot, the parking transaction begins.
Upon exit, the LPR system searches its database for the licence plate, entry time, validation, or reservation type, and whether visitors pay onsite or in advance using a mobile app, mobile scan-to-pay, or physical pay station to calculate the fee due. The LPR system then reads and stores the licence plate, verifies the payment and allows for a convenient exit.
When paired with non-gated parking systems, LPR devices are fixed at the entries and exits of parking facilities, allowing drivers to enter and exit freely. Payment is based on an honour system and is frequently paired with cloud-based enforcement structures.
2. Licence plate recognition enhances your security program.
With LPR comes the ability to configure security notifications and control access with comprehensive lists. The beauty of licence plate association is that the licence plate recognition system cross-references guidelines such as access lists, block lists, or notification lists.
Access lists may comprise permit holders, staff members, reserved parking, VIP guests or contractors. Block lists may contain visitors who are not permitted to enter the lot, for example, non-permit holders or someone who has been banned from a property. Notification lists can be configured to notify you of vehicles attempting to tailgate through a gated parking system or for vehicles repeatedly entering and exiting the parking lot in a short period.
3. Licence plate recognition empowers greater parking enforcement accuracy.
LPR parking enforcement solutions are proven to improve accuracy and reduce dispute rates.
In non-gated parking lots, LPR cameras are at the entry of a parking lot; however, they utilize Pay-by-Licence-Plate parking meters, online or mobile app platforms that record licence plates at the time a valid parking session begins. Each of these solutions can communicate to cloud-based enforcement software, allowing us to improve enforcement accuracy.
LPR devices mounted on enforcement vehicles eliminate the need for patrol officers to manually check each licence plate against a database of authorized parkers, photograph infractions, and get out of their cars.
These solutions provided the ability to scan, record, associate lists, and take photos of licence plates violating parking regulations. Parking violations are distributed to vehicle owners via mail.
4. Licence plate recognition stimulates hands-free permits and reservations.
With more and more customers requesting flexible and digital permit options, your facility needs to come equipped with parking technology that will meet their unique needs. Luckily,
LPR technology can be integrated with permit software to read and process registered parking permits and reservations.
The key? Licence plates are the access credential, replacing physical access cards, QR or barcode permits and Bluetooth Low Energy permits.
When a registered licence plate is detected at a gated parking entry, the entry gate automatically opens, allowing the driver to proceed without lifting a finger. In non-gated parking lots, LPR systems are based on an honour system and connected to a cloud-based enforcement software to enforce regulations.
5. Licence plate recognition provides real-time business intelligence.
The key to running a successful parking operation? Knowing what is happening at all times. LPR technology provides you with real-time insights, live control, data visualization and reporting. With LPR, you can make strategic decisions to understand where, when, and how long customers are parking in your facility; the frequency of visits, peak days and times, prime locations, and durations.
Having all this information connected to your business intelligence platform will help you accurately manage your pricing strategy, marketing strategy and patrolling schedules—with direct access to fast and thorough reporting.
6. Licence plate recognition helps deploy dynamic pricing models.
LPR technology can help parking operators make more intelligent decisions about managing their parking facility and setting rate structures on the fly. Better strategic decisions can be created once you have a real-time understanding of where, when, and how long customers park in your facility.
This includes frequency of visits (ideal for loyalty programs), peak parking days and times, popular parking areas within the garage-- when paired with parking sensor technologies such as Park Assist-- and lengths of stay that can help you accurately manage your pricing strategy, marketing strategy and patrolling schedules.
7. Licence plate recognition connects your parking facility with last-mile logistics.
LPR technology can be connected with endless last-mile possibilities. Whether booking an electric vehicle charging station, car care service, or services beyond the parking lot, such as restaurant or locker services, LPR lets you tally all services and the associated costs using one licence plate.
8. Licence plate recognition nurtures loyalty programs.
LPR systems can encourage parking through loyalty programs by using the licence plate as the credential. Promotional offers can be designated to visitors who meet specific criteria, such as the make and model of their car, the number of times they park at your facility, the amount of time they park at the location, or the days and times they arrive.
Licence plate recognition technology allows us to get more out of our parking systems with complete access control, enforcement accuracy and a wealth of data and marketing opportunities. It also provides a sustainable and safe way for visitors to enter and exit parking facilities, making it a key consideration when developing your parking budget.
References
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Digital parking permits - Precise Parklink: Parking management services. Precise ParkLink | Parking Management Services. (n.d.). https://www.preciseparklink.com/ps-digital-parking-permits.
License plate recognition - precise ParkLink: Parking management services. Precise ParkLink | Parking Management Services. (n.d.). Retrieved June 6, 2022, from https://www.preciseparklink.com/ps-license-plate-recognition-parking-technology.
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Business Development and Strategy Officer, Precise ParkLink