Get My Parking was founded in the year 2015. It is a mobile-based parking management system that is digitizing the parking industry. The app seeks to simplify parking by digitizing the entire process from ticketing to auditing. To users, the app provides information on the nearby location of the parking lots, availability of parking spots, ticket pricing so as to avoid overcharges.
Chirag Jain is the Co-Founder & CEO of Get My Parking. He shared some insights and answered questions related to the organization and the domain. Here is a brief from the interaction:
Prateek: Finding a parking spot on Indian roads is a big challenge. How can smart parking software become instrumental in providing a real-time solution?
Chirag Jain: Parking in India is fraught with systemic challenges. It’s a common sight even in developed urban areas to see vehicles haphazardly parked on the street. But in the past few years, we’ve seen some progress being made in the Indian parking landscape. From unorganized street parking, we are slowly but steadily moving to organized parking.
Many have the impression that the problem is a lack of parking space, which can be solved by creating more parking lots. In reality, the issue is the poor management of parking spaces, mostly due to the manual systems of parking management that are in place. Now, many Indian cities are solving this problem with organized parking spaces that make use of technology. We’re seeing wide adoption of ‘smart parking’ – digital modes of managing and using parking lots.
This is good news for both parking businesses and their customers. When a facility is completely digitized with sensors, automatic barrier gates, and digital payment modes, the risk of human error and revenue leakage reduces. Parking businesses are better able to manage daily operations since they are able to get complete transparency and greater control over their facility. In turn, customers get a better parking experience. They don’t have to stand in long entry lines because of understaffing at the gate, nor do they have to fumble for change on their way out.
Additionally, with organized smart parking, businesses can respond to demand with responsive pricing. When demand peaks, they can raise hourly rates to accommodate vehicles and ensure optimal space occupancy.
Prateek: Please tell us more about the Get My Parking End-to-End Parking Management Software.
Chirag Jain: From launching a simple mobile app in 2015 for parking operators to track daily vehicle entries, Get My Parking (GMP) has evolved to create an end-to-end IoT parking solution.
Today, Get My Parking offers an Interoperable Smart Parking Platform to upgrade any parking lot to a completely ‘digital’ one. It offers software modules that allow parking businesses to get a clear view of their property, daily entries, revenue, etc. This way, a business gets both a macro-and micro-level view of exactly what goes on in the parking lot. Last year, GMP launched a groundbreaking technology called ‘Enable’ that retrofits existing equipment in a parking lot and upgrades it to a digital one. It essentially allows equipment from different manufacturers to work in tandem with each other, something that hasn’t been possible up until now.
More recently, GMP launched a permit management product called GMP Permit, which is a digital management tool that empowers businesses to streamline and manage their monthly and weekly permits. Many other developments are underway as the startup continues building more products to revolutionize parking.
Prateek: As the number of vehicles on the roads increases day by day, what are some of the challenges faced by the digitalization of the parking system in India?
Chirag Jain: With a soaring number of vehicles, you don’t need more parking space in general. What you need is more properly managed parking spaces. Digitalization is the answer here, but that comes with its challenges. The biggest challenge is perhaps a lack of adequate digital infrastructure that can extend the benefits of IoT and smart parking to every city in the country. Forget Tier 2, even Tier 1 cities suffer from a lack of proper infrastructure.
Additionally, government policies will also need to evolve to allow for smooth, red-tape-free digitalization of parking. Already, many city governments have taken steps to this end. In the past few years, we’ve seen many metros implement smart parking solutions. So we’ll need to see more aggressive support from Indian cities.
Prateek: How well do the technologies like AI & IoT integrate with the Parking Management System?
Chirag Jain: IoT is integral to smart parking. This is basically how different components talk to each other and exchange data. In the future, we’re also expecting to see more use of AI systems in smart parking, especially when it comes to guide motorists.
Prateek: What are some parking hacks you need to know?
Chirag Jain: Using technology and apps is the biggest hack to secure a parking space when you step out of the house. For detailed information, read this GMP blog: https://blog.getmyparking.com/2020/01/06/parking-hacks-you-need-to-know/
Prateek: Why do parking issues in metropolitan cities require immediate attention?
Chirag Jain: Parking is one of the major perils of urbanization, having motorists, merchants, even city governments in its grip. The urban populace is compelled to compromise on time, fuel, and energy in the hunt for a vacant parking spot, not to mention the increased traffic congestion and carbon emissions that result from this scenario. To add insult to injury, the parking industry is riddled with problems that make traditional parking systems inefficient and obsolete.
These issues need immediate attention because they give rise to a host of other issues – congestion and pollution being two.
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