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APT Technologies completes installation at Gunwharf Quays

APT Technologies' installation of innovative bay monitoring technology at Gunwharf Quays car park is now complete. Paul Plumbley, car park manger at Gunwharf Quays (owned by Land Securities), recently spoke to APT about the challenges faced at Portsmouth's biggest and busiest city centre car park.

Paul explained: “Parking availability is at a premium in the centre of Portsmouth and we can reach car park capacity very quickly at weekends and during school holidays, with queues at the entrance sometimes stretching back two to three miles. The popularity of the car park was becoming a real issue for us, and one that we had to address.

Gunwharf Quay's parking system previously operated on a loop – counting cars in through the entrance barrier and out at the exit, and when at capacity it would only allow a waiting car to enter after another had exited. Gunwharf Quays car park has 1533 parking spaces split over two levels underground, with some three miles of roadway between entrance and exit.”

“The problem that we were facing,” continued Paul “was that a vehicle could be stationary awaiting availability of a parking space at the entrance barrier for anything up to 15 minutes, when in fact spaces were available. The bay monitoring system, however, senses when a car has left a space and automatically sends a signal to the entrance barrier, allowing the next car to enter immediately.”

The bay monitoring technology indicates a car park space's status via red and green lights, (or a blue light to indicate a disability space) installed above the parking area. The LED indicators are used in conjunction with electronic variable message signs, displaying space availability to help direct drivers to parts of the car park that have spaces. The system allows drivers to immediately see where spaces are available, greatly improving traffic flow and enhancing their parking experience.

The bay monitoring system has only just become fully operational, but Paul and his team are already seeing the difference: “We will still see queues at peak times, this will not change, but these queues are now moving much more quickly and drivers are less frustrated. APT successfully completed the installation in six weeks despite the team having to work around our peak periods. It was very impressive to watch and looking at the kit now you would not know that it has been fitted retrospectively, it looks as though it has always been there”.

“The system is undoubtedly making a difference,” Paul concludes, “but I look forward to reviewing the figures in a few months time to see the just how much impact it is having.”