Bass Coast Shire Council has awarded the tender to install 730 smart parking sensors in Cowes and Wonthaggi to parking management company, APARC.
The Smart Parking system is expected to be operational before Easter.
This week, Council staff will randomly survey drivers in Cowes to capture the current state of parking, asking how difficult it was to find a car park and the time it took. This data will be compared against responses from a survey carried out after the system has been installed, Council said in a statement.
Bass Coast Shire Mayor, Michael Whelan said he was looking forward to the improvements Smart Parking will bring to Bass Coast.
“After seeing how Smart Parking has worked in other towns and cities, I’m excited about the benefits it will bring to Bass Coast.”
“There’s no doubt that this technology will reduce the amount of circling that drivers do while looking for car park. This will ease congestion, especially in our busy tourist areas at peak season.
“We know that customers are influenced by every single experience they have with an area, so even something as simple as finding a carpark more easily may improve their overall impression of their visit.
“As well as new street signage, a mobile Smart Parking App will help drivers find available parking spots in real-time,” Mayor Whelan said.
The contractor is expected to begin installing small sensors in parking bays in March. For further information on this project, visit www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/smartparking.
