British Parking Awards 2010: Civica Innovation Award The WPS Integrated Park & Ride Ticket Management Solution Enderby Park & Ride, Leicester
About WPS UK Founded in 1985, WPS UK provides, operates, manages and networks on and off-street parking solutions for enforcement, access control, revenue generation, security and integration. The company was the first in the industry to use barcode technology, and is a pioneer in electronic payment for parking systems. Its high quality integrated software and hardware solutions - including pay stations, security, entry, exit and barrier control terminals and traffic enforcement technology and systems - support shopping centres, supermarkets, local authorities, car park operators, hotels, hospitals, universities, airports and the leisure industry both nationally and internationally. WPS is part of the Imtech Group. Headquartered in Gouda, Holland, Imtech is a European technical service provider in the field of information and communication technology, and electrical and mechanical engineering. The company has over 200 offices in Europe, some 22,500 employees and revenue of 3.9 billion euro.
Overview of Enderby Park & Ride Project challenges Located close to junction 21 of the M1, the 9.2 million stateof-the-art, environmentally friendly Enderby Park & Ride interchange is a joint Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council project. Aimed at easing traffic congestion and cutting pollution, the scheme, which launched mid November 2009, provides 1000 parking spaces and a cost-effective, low-emission bus service into Leicester city centre every 10 minutes. A number of key criteria needed to be met within the scheme, all of which had to be addressed and resolved in a way that would enable them to perform efficiently as an integrated whole: No barriers at the entrance to the car park to ensure that there are no vehicle queues, which would hamper adjacent traffic flow A system that ensures car park occupation is solely and exclusively by those using the bus service Payment made on the bus rather than within the car park, in compliance with current HMRC guidlines Identification of car park users Data sharing between stakeholders
The WPS Integrated Park & Ride Ticket Management Solution WPS won the contract for the car park by devising a unique and highly innovative solution for Enderby Park & Ride. It not only fully meets the project's challenging operating criteria but also works as a robust, integrated system that provides convenience and speed for service users and smooth functionality for the stakeholders. Encompassing the WPS BC-Easy parking system integrated with nine unique, WPS-designed bus ticketing units, the individual elements of the solution comprise: Alligator Teeth (single direction flow plates) at the entry point to ensure unimpeded traffic flow along the approach route Ticket-controlled exit barriers Payment and issue of a single barcoded ticket on the bus that serves three purposes: 1. Validation of payment for the bus journey 2. The same ticket raises the exit barriers, ensuring that car parking remains exclusive to bus users 3. A single transaction for Park & Ride users making it simple and convenient for them ANPR at both entry and exit to ensure security and car park user identification Data sent to a central system with web-based log on enabling permissions-controlled stakeholder access to management and reporting information
Technical merits of the solution Parking system The fully automated, compact BC-Easy parking system uses state-of-the-art barcode technology and operates on the Windows platform. The efficient system, including a DDAcompliant lost ticket pay station outside the bus terminal, incorporates customisable future-proof software, and is easy to install, operate and service resulting in lower operating costs. Data from all parts of the system is centrally managed to provide comprehensive management reports to all scheme partners. In addition a centralised web hosting reporting system is planned for the near future, with stakeholders able to log on and access information according to preset permissions. Remote as well as on-site maintenance is provided and there is an intercom on the barrier, with customers simply pressing a button if they need assistance. Absence of pay stations across the car park (other than the lost ticket pay station) means that the bus company running the service collects money directly and there are none of the costs normally associated with cash collection from unattended pay stations. Ticketing units The ticketing system is a unique WPS innovation and design, with the company providing the entire system including installing the units on the buses and training the bus drivers to use them. The tickets, which are issued by the bus driver via a touch screen for ease of use, have a barcode linked to the car park exit barrier, and on return, customers simply drive up to the barrier and insert the ticket to raise it. The single ticket both validates that the holder has taken a bus journey and captures activity data for management purposes. The system's sophisticated software enables a range of tariffs to be calculated quickly and simply according to the type of ticket such as single day, weekly, 4-week, 10-trip and concessionary tickets. It also functions on a 'standalone' basis, enabling the bus driver to issue tickets at a bus stop sited on the route into the city centre without needing to use a separate device.
Convenience for service users Motorists using the Enderby Park & Ride facility benefit from a single ticket rather than separate bus and car parking tickets, and from a single point of payment. Quick, convenient and easy to use, customers simply park their car, buy a ticket from the driver as they board the bus, show the driver the same ticket on the return journey and use it to open the barrier when they leave the site. The ticket can also be retained once the barrier lifts as a receipt or for participation in a bus operator promotion. A unique partnership Development of the WPS Integrated Park & Ride Ticket Management Solution was carried out in partnership with all of the Park & Ride scheme's stakeholders: Leicester City Council; Leicestershire County Council; Veolia Transport, operators of the buses - branded the Quicksilver shuttle; Tarmac National Contracting, appointed by the Council as the scheme's construction company; WYG Transport Planning, the project consultants; and the Council-employed security company manning the site. Delivery of the solution was by WPS's UK team, with continual liaison and interaction with the site's contractors crucial to ensuring that the project ran efficiently and productively for all concerned. WPS also provided training for the security company on relevant aspects of the system as well as full training for Veolia Transport's bus drivers. Although the Enderby Park & Ride service has only recently begun operating, it is proving to be extremely successful, and the Council is looking to implement the WPS Integrated Park & Ride Ticket Management Solution at other Park & Ride sites. Commenting on WPS's solution, Tony Kirk, Passenger Transport Unit Group Manager, Leicestershire County Council, said: "We required a bespoke tender linking on-bus ticketing to car park barrier control, and WPS offered the most robust solution. There is no system like it in the UK, and although the bus drivers were initially sceptical about something that didn't look like a ticketing machine, they warmed to it very quickly and find it very easy to use. We are also selling marketing space on the tickets, with the WPS system enabling us to print vouchers on them relating to special offers and discounts at city centre retail outlets. A large number are being presented in stores, confirming the flexibility of the tickets and helping to give the Park & Ride service a premium quality feel. The system will also enable us to offer reduced bus ticket costs to regular travellers through longer time span tickets, and we will be working with businesses to offer regularly commuting employees 13, 26 and 52-week tickets through salary sacrifice."
Eco Award for Enderby Park & Ride The Enderby Park & Ride scheme won a prestigious eco award at the Midlands Constructing Excellence Awards in October 2009. Sustainability measures include incorporating ground source heat technology into the terminal building, use of low carbon emission buses and a parking area drainage system where rainwater tanks feed into a balancing pond to prevent flooding and encourage new wildlife habitats. WPS's Integrated Park & Ride Ticket Management Solution contributes to the scheme's sustainability focus by reducing paper use through the issue of a single ticket.
British Parking Awards 2010: Civica Innovation Award Driving Parking Technology Cherry Orchard West, Kembrey Park, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 8UP For more information call us on: +44 (0) 1793 541 080 or email: info@wps-uk.com