Smart Parking Expo | Smart City 2024 | Billing Marmot™ Device

Billing Marmot
Nov 5, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Nov 7

2024.03.20 2024 Smart City Expo TAIWAN SECOM ESG Forum

Smart Parking: Taichung City's Road to Innovation

The 2024 Taipei Smart City Exhibition took place from March 19 to 22. The Taiwan Secom ESG Forum invited Taichung City's Transportation Bureau Director, Yeh Chao-fu, to share insights on Taichung's management experiences under the theme "Building a Better City: The Fusion of Smart Parking and Urban Aesthetics"

Transportation Bureau of Taichung City Government share Taichung's experience

Among the challenges in urban traffic management, the issue of roadside parking stands out. Director Yeh Chao-fu of the Taichung City Transportation Bureau highlighted that since 2019, Taichung City has launched a series of pilot projects, including the installation of geomagnetic sensors in roadside parking spaces to provide real-time parking information to the public. Over time, this initiative was continuously upgraded, and by 2021, the geomagnetic sensors were integrated with ticketing operations, significantly improving ticketing efficiency and increasing the turnover rate of parking spaces. These measures ensured the optimal utilization of parking spaces. Due to the success of the geomagnetic sensor project, Taichung City was invited to participate in The 14th Asia Pacific Transportation Development Conference and The 35th ICTPA Annual Conference, where it showcased its smart parking achievements and received widespread international recognition.

Director Yeh further explained that this year, Taichung City planned to expand the "Smart Parking Zone Initiative," which included gradually installing geomagnetic sensors in parking spaces and implementing various types of license plate recognition systems. (high-mounted, medium-mounted, and low-mounted devices) The goal was to deploy 21,000 geomagnetic sensors and 6,000 license plate recognition devices in Taichung by 2024. Through technological innovation, the city aimed to collect and integrate parking data, establishing a smart parking center to provide more convenient and high-quality parking services.

Director Yeh emphasized that the deployment of smart parking equipment not only provided new solutions to parking challenges but also highlighted the importance of integrating these technologies into the urban environment, potentially becoming a new feature of the city’s landscape.

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Director Yeh said, “Intelligent device users can't feel its presence in urban development”.

Director Yeh emphasized that the core value of smart parking lies in helping the public locate available parking spaces efficiently while minimizing traffic disruption. In collaboration with Taiwan Secom, the initiative focuses on leveraging technology to enhance the intelligence of on-street parking systems—such as incorporating vehicle recognition capabilities. From an urban aesthetics perspective, careful attention is given to the visual integration of equipment, including embedding devices into road surfaces or curb edges to avoid disrupting the streetscape. Real-time parking availability data will be made accessible to the public, enabling drivers to make informed decisions on whether to travel by car or opt for public transportation.

Director Yeh emphasized that smart parking must be integrated into urban development in a way that virtualizes its presence—allowing parking functions to exist without disrupting the cityscape or hindering future development. The key is to implement smart parking solutions that fulfill their function while preserving urban aesthetics and ensuring minimal visual or structural impact on the environment.