In more and more cities, we’re seeing fewer parking attendants on foot as they make way for scan cars. This parking fine machine on wheels is a real gold mine for municipalities. The digitization of parking enforcement has brought about many changes for municipalities. Let’s tell you some more about it.
How do scan cars work?
Scan cars have a scanning unit on the roof equipped with 12 cameras. While the car is driving, these cameras quickly scan all number plates that are in sight.
Whenever a number plate is spotted for which the vehicle owner has not paid a parking fee, a parking attendant on a scooter is notified.
Within a few minutes the parking attendant arrives at the vehicle. The time between the scan and the actual on-site check is called the ‘action time’. This is a set number of minutes, giving you time to buy a parking ticket or sign up for a parking app. If a parking fee has not been paid after the action time, you’ll automatically get a parking fine through your door.
But there are exceptions. In many large cities there are no parking attendants on scooters any more. It turned out that, in practice, many cars were leaving within the action time. Therefore, what happens now is that the scan car immediately issues a fine.
What are the implications for municipalities?
Municipalities benefit from the scan car in several ways. First of all, more fines are issued. A scan car is capable of checking 1,200 vehicles per hour. Parking attendants on foot cannot possibly come close to this number.
In 2019, total parking charges were forecast at 928 million euros, and in 2020 parking charges are forecast at over 1 billion euros.
What does the scan car mean for drivers?
In the past, with a bit of luck, you could get away with forgetting to pay for your parking, or running a quick errand without paying your parking fees. Because of the efficiency and speed of the scan car, the chance of getting away with this has been considerably reduced. In fact, you can almost be certain of getting a fine.
The scan car also does not distinguish between people stopping for a moment in a car park, and people who are actually parked. The scan car cannot see if you’re in your car! Where you used to be able to explain the situation to the parking attendant, the scan car will issue you with a fine a lot faster.
What can you do about it?
The fear of parking fines is growing, and the chances of getting a fine are much higher. We understand that the scan car can take your parking stress to a higher level. At the same time, of course, you don’t want to worry about your parking sessions.
Parkd therefore makes it possible to automate your entire parking session. Starting, stopping and paying for your parking session is handled entirely automatically. You never pay too much, and parking tickets are a thing of the past. No scanning car can take this away from you!
On top of that, Parkd allows you to save up to 90% on your parking administration. We take the whole thing off your hands, by sending you one monthly collective invoice containing only the business parking sessions of your fleet, listed per number plate.
Interested in finding out more?