Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, has introduced a new smart parking system in an effort to reduce the number of drivers looking for vacant bays, which has led to an increase in traffic congestion.
The public parking company, Parking Servis, is responsible for the entire on- and off-street parking infrastructure in Belgrade, and manages and maintains more than 32,500 spaces across the densely populated city. After intensive assessments, the company selected Nedap’s Sensit system, which will eventually be deployed in over 3,500 parking spaces within time-restricted parking zones within the historic city center. In the first phase of the project, 850 parking bays in the Njegoeva Street area in Belgrade have been equipped with the Netherlands-based company’s wireless in-ground sensors, which are connected to dynamic signs along the streets to display real-time parking availability.
Nedap’s Sensit infrared (IR) wireless bay-mounted sensors use both infrared and electromagnetic technologies to detect vehicle occupancy status and the parking duration of individual parking spaces. The system uses a fast and robust wireless network of sensors that sends information via relay nodes to the data collector, which is the gateway to the IP (Internet Protocol) network. Sensit interface software transfers the information to the management platform, which processes the reliable parking occupancy data that is essential in on-street parking applications.
Parking payment in Belgrade can already be performed via smartphones, and following this year’s Sensit integration with the central parking software platform, drivers will be given the option of a customized smartphone application for navigation to the closest available parking space. Supporting an open data policy, Nedap, will enable Parking Servis to gain a better and more efficient real-time control of the city’s parking usage, while also providing information for Belgrade’s forward planning, based on the current and future needs for a safer, more efficient and environmentally sustainable traffic system.
“We are very satisfied with the quality of the Sensit system, and are very proud to introduce this intelligent parking system in Belgrade,” stated Andrija ?upkovi?, managing director of Parking Servis. “Starting from this spring, our citizens will know exactly if there are, and how many, available parking spaces. This will result in the absence of unnecessary cruising in search of them. We will continue to maintain our position as a leader in the region, with the continuous implementation of innovations in parking systems.”
Ido Wentink, business development manager at Nedap Mobility Solutions, commented, “This project in Belgrade is one of the most prestigious projects in the European ITS and Smart City industry today. For that reason, we are very pleased that Parking Servis, a respected public parking company, recognizes the quality of the Sensit system.”
