The misuse of loading and unloading zones is a problematic consequence of drivers parking in them improperly, which has a very negative impact on urban mobility. Beyond the fact that, directly, it is an inappropriate and fraudulent use of areas intended for specific vehicles for the performance of work such as the shipment of goods or the daily work of companies that receive supplies or materials on a daily basis.
It is therefore necessary for the various players responsible for the management of parking spaces in cities, as well as the private companies involved in this work, to join forces. The main reason for this is the development of solutions for controlling loading and unloading zones to ensure their proper use. Doing so will have positive consequences for the work of companies and for urban mobility, which will become more orderly and sustainable.
These applications are an option that is on the table to help municipalities and companies to manage regulated parking spaces much more efficiently. With the result that there is a much more effective control and greater productivity of these areas.
From Urbiotica, a company in which we have developed parking control solutions in loading and unloading areas, we want to do our bit to meet this challenge of efficient urban mobility.
Difficulties in managing loading and unloading areas
The constant growth of traffic in cities is combined with the reduction of parking space due to the transformation towards green zones, pedestrianization and bicycle lanes. Available parking spaces are increasingly allocated to services such as loading and unloading, as well as to specific uses such as people with reduced mobility and electric vehicles. This scenario poses challenges for the efficient management of loading and unloading zones in urban areas. Drivers with fewer parking options end up parking in these spaces to the detriment of vehicles authorized to do so.
In addition to inappropriate parking and access blocking behaviors, another factor affecting efficiency is the disruption of parking for loading and unloading operations due to unauthorized vehicles. This has a negative impact on business logistics, productive use of time and meeting targets. On a broader level, this problem generates a chain effect that affects urban mobility, as vehicles without permits occupy spaces intended for employees of transport or logistics companies, forcing them to park in the wrong places or double-park, which hinders fluid traffic.
Faced with these challenges of sustainable mobility in cities, it is necessary to address the misuse of loading and unloading zones. The question arises: what technological solutions can be applied to ensure correct and efficient use?
Loading and Unloading
How to put an end to the misuse of loading and unloading zones?
Now we answer the previous question: the best way to prevent fraudulent use of loading and unloading zones by unauthorized drivers is technology. Specifically, loading and unloading control solutions with the aim of improving urban logistics and detecting unauthorized vehicles in these places. We will explain these two methods.
Guidance solutions for delivery drivers and alerts to guards when violations occur
First of all, there are guidance solutions such as FastPrk that provide information on the occupancy of loading and unloading zones. It helps delivery drivers to quickly find available loading and unloading spaces. This reduces search time and improves efficiency in logistics operations. In addition, with others such as ParkCtrl it monitors parking time and verifies driver authorization, promoting a smooth turnover in these loading and unloading zones.
This improves urban mobility and increases employee productivity for delivery and logistics companies. The benefits of using these solutions include a 28% reduction in search time, a 16% reduction in route time, and a 12.4% reduction in distance traveled.
On the other hand, it is important to highlight that the solution detects infractions in real time and sends alerts to the corresponding guards when an unauthorized vehicle is parked, or when the allowed parking time is exceeded. This helps to increase the availability of parking spaces and avoids double-parking and chaos. The ParkCtrl solution enables municipalities and companies to efficiently manage compliance with parking regulations, centralizing information and optimizing the work of parking enforcement officers.
Parking space by space occupancy detection using IoT sensors or Artificial Intelligence.
Secondly, there are solutions based on spot-to-spot detection systems using U-Spot parking sensors or using Artificial Intelligence through cameras and the U-Spot software . U-Spot VISIO. They detect in real time the entry and exit of vehicles in each parking space. These ways of detecting parking space occupancy reduce violations in the use of loading and unloading zones in cities.
The solutions enable accurate and effective control of parking space users, ensuring compliance with parking regulations and respecting drivers’ privacy in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Combined with the use of the mobile app, it is possible to identify whether or not the driver is authorized to park in the loading and unloading zone.
One of the competitive advantages of this solution is the generation of alerts in case of violations. The guards are notified when an unauthorized user parks in a parking space, or if they exceed the time allowed. This allows them to go directly to the infringing parking space instead of making the usual long vehicle-to-vehicle surveillance rounds. This streamlines the process and increases the efficiency of enforcement.
The future of logistics management in cities
In this article we have tried to explain how to solve one of the issues affecting sustainable mobility in cities through the application of advanced, reliable technologies that respect the privacy and data protection of all drivers.
It is clear that we are facing a challenge with many edges: improving urban mobility to reduce air pollution; promoting the appropriate use of areas for loading and unloading operations, with the ethical component and individual responsibility of unauthorized drivers; and developing increasingly advanced technologies that respect the rights of citizens while facilitating increased business productivity.
The conclusion is that the future of logistics management in cities and the end of the misuse of loading and unloading zones depends on the use of these technological solutions with real-time data and information transmission, data management in the cloud and advanced communication networks.
