| I was thrilled when the Daily Mail reported that | | | | or convenient proximity, to park in places that are |
| Heathrow is to become the world's first airport to | | | | ignored by law enforcement and ticket personnel, but |
| install technology that will guide drivers to empty | | | | you must assess the risk involved. |
| slots and also show them where they had parked | | | | Better to pay than be sorry if your car is vandalised. |
| when leaving. The technology, reportedly, allows you | | | | Unless you know the history of a place, you might |
| to find your vehicle simply by inserting your parking | | | | wrongly think that your chosen space offers no |
| ticket into a machine that has a 32in screen displaying | | | | particular temptations to criminals. Some cars are |
| a 3-D map. This would certainly help people stop | | | | poor at retaining their alluring paint work. |
| running all over the car park looking for their cars. I | | | | So how do you choose where to park? Parking has |
| am sure it has happened to you. You walk into the | | | | become a major issue in human development. This is |
| car park lot and head in the wrong direction. Then | | | | true for both individuals and companies. Businesses |
| you realise the mistake, feeling silly you head back | | | | are hesitant to locate within certain areas of the |
| right to where you came from. | | | | downtown because of limited parking for their |
| Technology giant Siemens, partnered with the British | | | | employees, customers and clients. Customers and |
| firm Highlight Parking Systems Limited, are the driving | | | | shoppers prefer going shopping in places where they |
| force behind this novel project. In a way the | | | | are guaranteed a parking space. In some cities, |
| technology is not entirely new. Siemens is known for | | | | Commercial developers are hesitant to purchase and |
| its advanced Siemens Traffic Solutions which are | | | | improve a property. These properties can be in prime |
| integrations of various technologies and services for | | | | locations but a lack of parking can potentially reduce |
| modern traffic management and mobility in urban | | | | their value. This is due to concern by would-be |
| settings. Siemens sophisticated parking solutions solve | | | | tenants that they might have problems finding |
| the problem of finding car parks and securing smooth | | | | convenient parking. |
| urban traffic flow. | | | | I have digressed from my original story. Going back |
| I said this development is new yet not too novel | | | | to this technological development, there are a few |
| because it is part of the Siemens' pioneered parking | | | | things to say. So how will the system work? It is |
| technology. Siemens intelligent transportation systems | | | | touted that when a driver arrives at the car park |
| prevent avoidable traffic, shift unavoidable traffic and | | | | barrier, a numberplate recognition system takes the |
| conserve the environment. These systems include: | | | | registration and automatically prints it on the ticket. |
| Dynamic parking guidance systems - LCD displays and | | | | At the start of your trip, the same technology will |
| prism billboards rapidly direct drivers to free parking | | | | also lead you to the nearest empty space - again |
| spaces in the city, significantly reducing inner-city | | | | displayed on a screen map to save time and carbon |
| traffic, Car park systems - the modular SiPark | | | | emissions. These Siemens Pay and display machines |
| guidance system ensures smooth traffic flow in car | | | | accept cash cards as well as coins, and enable |
| parks and on parking lots, using ultrasonic sensors and | | | | constant control of the unit status. |
| arrow displays. | | | | So ideally your parking spot should be shaded from |
| I have been reflecting on this development the whole | | | | the sun. Just as you want to park easily and safely, |
| week asking myself why anybody would invest so | | | | you also want to leave quickly and as hassle-free as |
| much money in such a venture. Of course it occurred | | | | possible. Therefore the quality you should look for in |
| to me that we take many things for granted | | | | a parking place is flexibility. In terms of actual parking |
| because they look so natural to us. Thinking about it, | | | | spaces, there is a problem because cars have got |
| a good parking space is difficult to find. It needs to | | | | bigger but car park spaces don't seem to. This |
| be isolated, but at the same time you don't want | | | | demands some problem solving skills. Actually |
| your car to stand out. It needs to be in a well lit area | | | | choosing the right parking place is an essential survival |
| and near other cars, but away from the prying eyes | | | | skill. |
| of criminals. You might be tempted, by cheap rates | | | | |