There are three primary benefits of having a Parking Management system that apply to almost any building. These are Security, Safety and Privacy. Alongside these, there is also an option for companies to use parking management systems to monetise their parking real estate.
By only allowing access through use of a card or token, building management is able to reduce the risk of cars being damaged or stolen, providing peace of mind to users of the space.
Moreover, automating the check in and check out process reduces the number of security officers that are required to be physically present.
Parking Management Systems allow you to control how many cars are inside at any given time. They do this by accurately recording when cars enter and when they leave. This net total can then be compared to the number of parking spots available inside the lot, and entry can be refused to more cars.
Aside from avoiding overcrowding causing negative experiences for residents, this is also a useful mechanism for the building to prevent the invalidation of insurance policies due to over-occupancy.
For residents of a private building, it can be infuriating when someone has taken their parking spot. Usually, they have paid for the right to that allocated spot through their lease (or as a supplementary item). Therefore, it is incumbent upon building management to take necessary steps in order to avoid appropriation of these spaces.
It has been shown that warnings of towing for transgressors are often ignored, so using a parking system with a dedicated access card is the optimal solution.
For retail outlets, this type of system can also ensure that it is only their clients that can access prime parking spots free of charge. This can be done by validating tickets through a simple device, which then allows shoppers to exit without paying.
For hotels, malls and other establishments that have valet (which is particularly common in the UAE), parking barrier system allows an area to be safely reserved only for valet parking, keeping it private and inaccessible without an access card.
Monetising your parking real estate has two main benefits. The primary benefit is, of course, financial. In the newer areas of Dubai, it is fairly common for buildings with retail outlets to charge 10 AED per hour for tickets that have not been validated. This can become a very real revenue line on the building P&L, allowing money generated to be spent on improving and maintaining other building facilities.
The other benefit of monetising parking spaces is that it avoids people “squatting” in car parks, leaving them there for long periods of time and consequently preventing other people from using the spaces. This is a significant risk for carparks near office buildings.
In some cases, buildings wish to encourage window shoppers and the benefit of having this footfall is more important than monetisation of parking spots. In Dubai, this is particularly true of shopping malls. They also do not necessarily want to discourage window shoppers by imposing a validation requirement. Therefore, they might choose to offer the first 3 hours of parking for free, and only charge after that. This removes the risk of disincentivising casual visitors , whilst still discouraging people from using the mall as a place to park whilst they are in the office. This also explains why you might notice mall barriers being open over the weekend when offices are empty.
Nigma provides customizable and cost-effective parking solutions that are easy to manage and maintain. Clients include the Gevora Hotel as well as other commercial buildings and a portfolio of residential towers. For more information on our products and how we operate, you can contact us here