Sergio Castellar from Pavapark gave us an interview in which he talked about his experience working with Urbiotica.
Pavapark is a Valencian Company specialized in urban mobility, part of the PAVASAL Group, which has been active for 75 years. Pavapark is a leader in urban mobility management, Smart City solutions and in the integration of people with difficult access to the labor market.
Sergio, can you explainhow you got to know Urbiotica?
It all began with a project we had in Calpe (Alicante). We wanted to implement technology to get occupancy information and test the single space sensing systems. In order to do so, we carried out a market research. We finally selected Urbiotica because it had the most mature solution and because it was the one that best suited the problems we had in Calpe. In this way, we sensed 34 regulated parking spaces located in Alemania Street and installed a Variable Message Sign to identify the available spaces.
Why did you choose to work withUrbiotica’s technologyinstead of others?
We analyzed other options such as solutions using loops or cameras. Pavapark always looks for the best technology according to the client needs and in this sense, single space sensor detection was the solution that best adapted to the installation. We looked over other projects implemented by Urbiotica in some municipalities, which conveyed us confidence, and so we chose to work with Urbiotica. The other systems didn’t fit in the conditions and needs required for this project. We see that other types of systems are not mature enough yet.
Tell us about the last project you carried out in cooperation with Urbiotica in Alzira (Valencia). You installed a sum of 70 U-Spot sensors in 2 phases to collect information about the occupation and be able to transmit it through VMS.
Indeed, we installed 70 sensors on Santos Patronos Street, a commercial and central street in which there is a lot of vehicle rotation. The City Council needed to have information about the use made of the spaces. The system is located in a regulated parking area and therefore helps us to know the rotations and productivity of those spaces. It allows us to know how long a vehicle has been parked and when it exceeds the time limit, which in this case is 2 hours. We have placed 2 VMS that give real time information concerning the number of free spaces allowing drivers to decide to look for another option to park their vehicles if there are few spaces available.
Moviltik is an App using the data collected by the system. How did the integration work?
It’s a regulated parking area. We use this application for parking payment management. With the new system integrated in the application, now through Moviltik app we also inform users of the number of available spaces.
We access via API and collect the data from the system to notify the user through this App. We access via API and collect the data from the system to notify the user through this App.
As for the installation, we connected the concentrators to the electrical network of the municipality street lamps. The deployment of the sensors was very simple. Everything is working very well.
Are you satisfied with Urbiotica’sparking solutions?
We are very satisfied with the solution. On one side, we would like to point out that the delivery and supply of all the material is very fast because it is a proved and tested solution that works well. On the other side, the installation is not complex and the civil work that needs to be done is relatively simple. And above all, it is very important for us that when we have had an urgency in times of implementation, Urbiotica has responded according to our needs and the technical support is immediate. The availability of Urbiotica technicians is total.
Regarding the relationship, attention and follow-up of the project. How did youfeel working with Urbiotica?
We’re delighted. Both technically and commercially. The response on your side has always been immediate. You have always attended us, and we have been able to resolve any incident quickly.
Can you tell us about the improvements or benefits of this system for the citizen as well as for the parking manager?
Facilitating parking in this downtown area leads to a decrease in congestion. In the same way, this reduces the stress of the citizen when looking for parking, making this procedure easy and fast. In addition, the commerce and services are revitalized because the citizens move more to the city center than before.
The overall system also has a clear benefit for the parking manager as he can see that there is more rotation and that vehicles are no longer left parked indefinitely. The team is provided with the necessary information to make predictions and design actions and mobility policies based on real data and thus ensure that there is a more rigorous vigilance of the area and that it is more efficient.
And what can you tell us about the final client, the Alzira City Council? Are they satisfied with the solution implemented?
Alzira City Council was delighted with the implementation period we carried out and they are satisfied with the service because they see that it is having a return and that citizens see it as an advantage.
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