Smarter alternatives in vehicle parking

With the population of vehicles growing, availability of parking space for these vehicles is becoming a major issue. A solution for this issue is vertical development of parking system. Construction Times explores the various kinds of parking systems and how they can be the right solution for meeting the needs for parking space.

Vehicle parking has become a major issue especially in cities. Today, city roads have become extremely congested, with one reason being vehicles parked on the road. The increasing affordability of vehicles and the easy availability of finance have led to a substantial rise in vehicle ownership, creating a vast disparity between the number of vehicles and the available parking slots. The growing number of vehicles has created need for more parking space across the country. While the availability of land is going scarce with growing urbanization, the way forward is vertical development of parking systems. New residential projects coming up are addressing this issue with incorporating automated and multi-level parking systems. However, in the commercial segment, there is a growing need for creating more public parking space to effectively address the parking needs of public. 

New solutions in vehicle parking

Space saving is accomplished by lifting the vehicles vertically and arranging them in rows and columns. This process could be performed within the building enclosure or in the open areas of the housing premises. This activity eliminates the provision of ramps and drive ways in each floor. “Marine Car Parx has been evolved from the internationally practised and time-tested technology of various cargoes in the maritime sector, which is suitably conceptualized to meet the needs of car parking in urban India. This is the only patent certified system made in India,” says N V Ramana, Director, Marine Car Parx.

According to Ramana, multilevel automated parking is yet to gain the momentum in the urban areas of our country mainly due to inertia (resistance to change) in the mindset of the urban society. Availability of suitable land in the public and private domains of the dense urban areas is the primary challenge. He adds, “Concerned government departments should come forward with attractive proposals to invite private entrepreneurs to encourage setting up facilities in large numbers. Lands in the private sector can be encouraged for shared use of the parking facilities for the benefit of multiple neighbourhood organizations and more profitable returns on investment.”

Marine Car Parx offers effective solutions in multi-level car parking. Ramana elaborates, “Being semi-automatic and valet personnel operated, our facilities have an advantage to scale up the parking operations to meet the surge demands in parking requirements. For example, our designs consist 10 to 12 car lifts in a facility of 500 car capacity system which can be pressed into parallel operations as necessary for saving time in the rush hours and ensure reliable 24/7 operations.”

Ashish Majithia, Founder and CEO, Nextkraft Parking Technologies, elaborates on the advantages of automated parking systems, “Automated parking systems represent the pinnacle of parking solutions due to their versatility and efficiency. These systems offer various types that can be tailored to different projects based on space availability and specific requirements. Whether it’s stack parking systems that utilize vertical space, tower parking systems with automated features, or puzzle parking systems that maximize density with a puzzle-like arrangement, automated solutions provide customized options. This flexibility ensures optimal use of space in both residential and commercial developments, where space constraints are a common challenge.”

The advantage of automated parking systems is their adaptability to different installation locations and vehicle types. They can be installed in open spaces, inside buildings, below ground level (pit systems), or attached to buildings. Moreover, these systems can be designed to accommodate SUVs, sedans, or a combination of both, providing comprehensive parking solutions for various types of vehicles. This versatility makes automated parking systems the preferred choice for modern infrastructure projects seeking efficient and space-saving parking solutions.

Safety & convenient parking

Safety plays a major role in the automated vehicle parking systems. Majithia elaborates, “Safety is paramount in our parking systems, and we prioritize it at every stage of design and implementation. Our team meticulously considers every possible scenario to ensure the utmost safety of our systems.”

He adds on the safety measures taken, “When designing structures for our tower and puzzle parking systems, we adhere strictly to IS codes (Indian Standards) to maintain structural integrity and safety standards. Depending on the type of system, we incorporate 2 to 3 levels of safety, further enhancing reliability and peace of mind for our clients.

In addition to safety, we also prioritize convenience. Our systems are designed with user-friendly features that streamline the parking process, making it efficient and hassle-free for users. This dual focus on safety and convenience underscores our commitment to providing innovative and reliable parking solutions for our customers.”

Ramana says. “Marine Car Parx systems are manufactured and tested conforming to the Indian industrial standards and fire safety norms. Being semi-automatic and valet personnel operated, our facilities have an advantage to scale up the parking operations to meet the surge demands in parking requirements. For example, our designs consist 10 to 12 car lifts in a facility of 500 car capacity system which can be pressed into parallel operations as necessary for saving time in the rush hours and ensure reliable 24/7 operations.”

Challenges

According to Ramana, availability of suitable land in the public and private domains of the dense urban areas is the primary challenge. He suggests, “Concerned government departments should come forward with attractive proposals to invite private entrepreneurs to encourage setting up facilities in large numbers. Lands in the private sector can be encouraged for shared use of the parking facilities for the benefit of multiple neighbourhood organizations and more profitable returns on investment.”

Market opportunities

An effective solution for vehicle parking space is the need of the hour so there will be a growing requirement for space saving and convenient parking solutions in future. Parking solution providers are working closely with the government and private players for an effective solution to meet the parking needs. Ramana says, “We have signed up a long-term contract with UP Government to provide large parking facilities in various smart cities in that state. Some proposals are also in the pipeline with the government and private sectors in Hyderabad. We are glad to share a few designs of our recent project proposals.”

Majithia adds, “We have built a robust presence in Mumbai and the surrounding regions, playing a pivotal role in prestigious projects such as Lodha Park Signet in Lower Parel, Ace Square in Thane, Raj Infinia in Malad, Lodha Acme Ozone in Thane, and Shraddha Evoque in Bhandup. In addition to our successful projects in Mumbai, we have executed developments in cities like Pune and Goa.”