Online parking marketplace yourparkingspace.co.uk claims that pay-and-display machines could soon be a thing of the past following the launch of an updated app.
The app now allows people to adjust the amount of time they want to park for while their vehicle is parked, eradicating the need to guess beforehand how much time they may need.
The app – available on iOS and Android devices for free – allows drivers to search 250,000 private and commercial parking spaces across the country.
Other updates include a book-and-pay feature and the ability to re-book a space in a single click. The firm said a further revision, due later this year, will allow people or businesses to list spaces directly from the app – currently, this is only possible from the desktop website.
As well as the 35,000 private landlords, a number of blue-chip companies including Hilton, National Car Parks and Ibis use the service to identify spare spots.
Speaking to BusinessCar, Harrison Woods, managing director of yourparkingspace.co.uk, said that last year the business generated £5.5m in revenue for operators and landlords, with a projected income of £12m for this year.
And while, on the face on it, the website may be consumer-facing, Woods says that 80% of company business comes from ‘subscription parking’ – Monday-to-Friday, 9-5 renters – indicating that the majority of users access the service for work.
However, he admitted he still needs to learn a lot more about his audience.
“We need to better understand travel trends,” he told BusinessCar. “So if someone is driving near a space, we want the app to say ‘do you want to park here?’ based on previous bookings and our data.”
“We should also start to offer discounts such as 10% off coffees,” he added.
While it is possible to save multiple cards on the app, Woods also confirmed that a way to differentiate between business and pleasure parking is in the works.
“There are plans to be able to separate business and personal bookings through the app,” he said.