Dokument wird geladen
Parking trend www.europeanparking.eu Publication of the European Parking Association | Volume 43 | no. 3-2026 INTERNATIONAL 9 Sustainable Strategy Preservation Rather Than Demolition 26 New EPA Event 36 Best Practice EU Policy Forum on Mobility & Parking Data-Driven Parking Management for Edinburgh
SIMPLIFY PARKING OPERATIONS ACROSS EVERY SITE Run every parking facility through one intuitive, web-based interface. With Designa CONTROL CENTER, operators gain real time visibility, centralized device control, and intelligent event management. • Faster response times • Simplified daily operations • Complete system transparency • Reliable operations across sites designa.com
EDITORIAL Dear Reader, It was a pleasure to meet so many colleagues in Dublin for the EPA EU Policy Forum and Annual Gen- eral Assembly, which is covered extensively in this new edition of PTI. Our discussions confirmed something I strongly believe: the parking sector has never been more relevant to the future of our cities. European cities face growing challenges around accessibility, liveability and sustainability. At the same time, Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are creating new opportunities to rethink how people and goods move through urban areas. Our industry has an important role to play. We already provide vital mobility infrastructure that connects people, places and communities eve- ry day. Modern parking facilities are no longer sim- ply destinations for vehicles. They are mobility hubs that support public transport, cycling, shared mo- bility, electric vehicle charging and other essential services. They enable cities to use limited urban space more effectively while keeping destinations accessible for residents, commuters, businesses and visitors. Much has already been achieved. Across Europe, our sector has demonstrated how infrastructure, technology and operational expertise can contrib- ute to smarter and more sustainable mobility sys- tems. But there is still much more to do. Digitalisation and better data sharing will help integrate parking more seamlessly into the wider mobility journey. Yet technology alone is not the goal. The real objective is simple: making everyday mobility seamless, more connected and more con- venient for the people we serve. That is why collaboration remains so important. Cities, policymakers, mobility providers and park- ing operators share a common ambition: creating urban environments that work better for everyone. By working together, sharing knowledge and build- Frank De Moor, CEO Q-Park & EPA Platinum Member ing on what we have already achieved, we can en- sure that our sector continues to deliver practical solutions for the mobility challenges of tomorrow. I am therefore already looking forward to EPA’s next flagship event, the 22nd European Parking and Mobility Conference & Exhibition, which will again take place in Brussels under the theme ‘Unlocking Urban Space – Where Policy, Infrastructure and Technology Meet’. The original date was moved for- ward to align with the European Commission, so please “save the new date” for 21- 23 September 2027. I hope you enjoy this edition of Parking Trend International. Frank De Moor CEO, Q-Park EPA Platinum Member Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 3
CONTENTS Business News Lead Story Contipark: Preservation Rather Than Demolition Interparking: Scaling up With Purpose APCOA: From Ambition to Action Indigo: Environmental, Social and Governance Strategy Q-Park: CSR Report and SUMP 3.0 Background Discussion with Hanne Ulvtorp: Arrive Unveils its Sustainability Strategy 9 12 13 14 16 18 26 6–8 EPA News “Proud Member of EPA”: Corporate Members – Join Us! List: Corporate Members of EPA Corporate Member Portraits EPA Annual General Assembly 2026: Continuity and New Voices Within the Board EU Policy Forum on Mobility & Parking: “Parking is an Effective Mobility Tool” Interview with Andrea Annunziata: “The Goal Is to Strengthen EPA’s Voice” Update on the DISCO Project: Four Twinning Cities Evolving from Replication to Real-World Transformation Interview with ESPORG: “Infrastructure Must be Planned Around User Needs” By Theo Thuis, President of the European Parking Association: Remembering Peter Martens 20 20 22 25 26 28 30 32 34 4 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
h u R o k r a M : ) o t o h p e l t i t ( © CONTENTS Best Practice International Solutions Monit Data: Data-Driven Parking Management for Edinburgh Innovative Products HUB Parking Technology: Making Payment Faster in Just One Scan AVUTEC: Cloud-to-Camera Whitelist Synchronization SKIDATA: Pay-and-Display Machine for Lean Solutions Hectronic: Payment Debut with Wero in Kassel Background Interview with Anja Müller, PBW: “That’s the Real Art of It” ParkingSwiss: Car Park Management in a Legal Grey Area – Where the Sector Stands Today 36 40 40 41 41 42 44 Arivo / Graz Exhibition Centre: 1,600 Parking Spaces, Countless Requirements and a Parking System that Thinks for Itself Innovative Wohr Parking Systems 46 APCOA Italia: Two New Car Parks at Two Major Tourist Destinations 48 Fastned / Places for London: First Ultra-Rapid EV Hub near Heathrow Airport FAAC Access / HUB Parking Technology solutions: Modernizing the Heart of Ipswich Prospects 3–5 November 2026 | Barcelona: Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress 2026 Calendar: International Parking Events Imprint 49 49 50 51 51 9 36 18 44 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 5
BUSINESS NEWS PBW to Take Over Car Park Management at Stuttgart Airport P arkraumsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH (PBW) will take over the day-to-day operation of all multi-storey car parks and parking spaces at Stuttgart Airport (STR) with effect from 1 January 2027. Following a Europe-wide public tender for car park operations, Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH has awarded the contract to PBW as the service provider. The contract covers the management of around 11,000 parking spaces at the airport and around 8,000 spaces at the exhibition centre. PBW will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the car parks, as well as the technical facilities and traffic management systems, according to the company. On-site customer service is also part of its remit. Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH remains the operator of the car park facilities and is responsible, amongst other things, for sales, technical development, pricing and the operation of the book- ing platforms. As a subsidiary of the State of Baden-Württemberg, PBW brings to the role its expertise as the operator of numerous multi-storey car parks and car parks in around 50 towns and cities, as well as at Karlsruhe-Baden Airport. PBW wins public tender “We are proud to have succeeded in winning this Europe-wide public tender. Being awarded the contract is a great vote of confidence for t r o p r i A t r a g t t u t S © Representatives from Stuttgart Airport and PBW us and demonstrates that our experience and expertise in profes- sional car park management are highly regarded. We are particularly pleased to be ensuring a reliable and customer-focused parking ser- vice at one of Baden-Württemberg’s most important transport hubs,” says Anja Müller, Managing Director of PBW. ■ APCOA Installs New Parking System for 2,300 Spaces F or MSV Duisburg’s first home game of the new 2026–2027 Third games, parking areas P2 and P3 remain accessible exclusively to indi- viduals with parking permits issued by MSV Duisburg. Division season, APCOA Germany, in collaboration with stadium operator Duisburger Stadionmanagement, introduced a modern parking system at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena. In parking lots P1 through P4, vehicles are automatically registered via their license plates during major events at the arena. During MSV Duisburg home APCOA manages a total of approximately 2,300 parking spaces in lots P1, P2, P3, and P4. Ten cameras in the parking areas record the license plate numbers of vehicles entering and exiting. A parking ticket is no longer required. Payment is entirely cashless. Fans can conveniently pay the parking fee directly via ScanPay using their smartphone up to 24 hours after the event, or at one of the five automated payment kiosks on the grounds before, during, or after the event. All they need to do is en- ter their license plate number. Upon exiting, the system automatically recognizes the vehicle and verifies whether the parking fee has been paid. Signs with QR codes are available on-site for digital payment. H b m G t n e m e g a n a m n o d a t S r e g r u b s i u D © i “Our traffic observations on game days have shown that the pay- ment process at the entrance, in particular, has regularly caused traf- fic backups on the surrounding streets,” says Christopher Mainka, Managing Director of Duisburger Stadionmanagement. “For many fans, match day begins as soon as they set off. That’s why parking needs to be as simple and hassle-free as possible. It is particularly at very busy events that you can see what a difference a digital parking solution can make,” says Katrin Teichert, Managing Director of APCOA Germany. ■ 6 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
Y O L B A A S S A © BUSINESS NEWS Assa Abloy to Acquire Gunnebo Entrance Control trance Control team to Assa Abloy. This ac- quisition delivers on our strategy to strength- en our position in mature markets through adding complementary products and solu- tions to our core business,” says Nico Del- vaux, President and CEO of Assa Abloy. Formed in 1995, with a history dating back to 1764, the company has around 670 employees. The company is headquartered in Maresfield, UK, with manufacturing sites across Europe, the US and Asia. Gunnebo Entrance Control will be part of the Business Segment Pedestrian within the Entrance Systems Division. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and customary clos- ing conditions and is expected to close dur- ing the fourth quarter of 2026. ■ A ssa Abloy has signed an agreement to acquire Gunnebo Entrance Control, an international provider of entrance control solutions, including speed gates, mass tran- sit gates and security revolving doors. “I look forward to welcoming the Gunnebo En- Enschede is Extending its Partnership with IP Parking Wero – the European payment solution Paying for parking has never been easier: A quick scan of the QR code, one tap, and they‘re ready to go. Easy integration European payment method No additional hardware required No risk of quishing thanks to a dynamic QR code High security through bank authentication Attractive cost structure i g n k r a P P I © The city of Enschede has once again chosen IP Parking as its partner in the field of park- ing technology. The partnership will there- fore continue under a new 10-year frame- work agreement. Since 2015, the city and IP Parking have been working together. Under the new agreement, IP Parking will continue to support the municipality with a fully con- nected parking platform that integrates hardware, software, and digital services. This is to provide the municipality with a flexible and reliable system that streamlines parking management while offering a seam- less parking experience to residents and visi- tors. By the use of cloud-based technology, license plate recognition, and open integra- tions, the parking environment can continue to adapt to future developments in mobility and digitization. Only a few weeks later IP Parking an- nounced that the City of Dordrecht has se- lected the Dutch company to provide a new parking access and revenue control system. With this decision, the city is taking one more step toward further digitizing its park- ing operations and investing in a flexible, fu- ture-proof parking platform. The new plat- form brings together parking management, digital services, and future mobility integra- tions into a single connected environment. ■ Do not hesitate to contact us: Hectronic GmbH | Allmendstrasse 15 D-79848 Bonndorf | Tel. +49 7703 9388-0 mail@hectronic.com Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 7 www.hectronic.com
BUSINESS NEWS P eople in Parking Sean O’Neill APCOA announced the appointment of Sean O’Neill as Chief Product & Technology Of- ficer (CPTO). Sean joins APCOA’s Executive Team and will lead the company’s product and technology agenda, reporting directly to CEO Nicola Veratelli. As CPTO, he will be responsible for driving tech-enabled initia- tives. Sean O'Neill brings over 25 years of inter- national leadership experience, including Amazon, Tesco and GfK. He most recently served as Chief Product & Tech- nology Officer at Syncron, a global provider of enterprise SaaS solutions. “Technology is transforming the way car parks are managed, and APCOA has long been at the fore- front of that transformation,” said APCOA CEO Nicola Vera- telli. “Sean’s remit is to accelerate that technology journey and to keep improving the digital services our partners and drivers rely on.” Bob Shepard PayByPhone appointed Bob Shepard to its Ex- ecutive Leadership Team as Chief Product Officer (CPO), reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer, Jonny Combe. Combe says: “Bob isn’t here to maintain the status quo; he is here to evolve our platform and transform how we deliver next-genera- tion mobility.” Shepard adds: “I am thrilled to join Jonny and the Executive Leadership Team to turn PayByPhone’s roadmap into measurable growth, expanding beyond traditional parking into connected mo- bility payments while delivering world-class reliability at scale.” Most recently, Shepard served as Head of Product at Valet Living, where he drove product strategy and opera- tional discipline for a platform processing hundreds of millions of resident events annually across 40 US states. PayByPhone also announced the promotion of Rebecca Maisey to UK Managing Director from 1 July 2026. Mai- sey, who has been with PayByPhone for 15 years, steps into the role after successfully serving as the company’s UK Commercial Director. In her new position, she assumes full strategic and operational leadership of the UK busi- ness. “Rebecca is an exceptional leader whose deep industry expertise and long- standing dedication to our clients make her the perfect person to lead our UK operations,” says CEO Jonny Combe. Her outstanding contributions to the sector were recognized industry-wide when she won the inaugural Inspirational Woman in Parking award at the British Parking Association’s (BPA) People in Parking Awards. Rebecca Maisey Arrive won Adam Dolphin for the newly cre- ated role of Regional Director for, UK, Ire- land and Nordics. Adam is to manage the consumer-facing mobile parking payment brands across the region. He will also sup- port the parking hardware teams based across the UK. He brings over 15 years of sen- ior commercial leadership experience in the mobility sector, most recently as Director of EV charging firm Gul-e. Adam has also served as Man- aging Director of PayByPhone. He says: “I’m thrilled to join Arrive at such a transformative moment for the parking industry. What drew me to this role was Arrive’s forward-thinking approach, its strong in- dustry relationships and the opportunity to return to an industry that I feel at home in.” Adam Dolphin Jens Zier has been serving as Managing Di- rector of IP Parking Belgium since Janu- ary, as the company announced in the mid- dle of the year. With nearly 30 years of expe- rience in the parking industry, gained while working for parking operators, suppliers, and market leaders, Jens brings a wealth of knowledge and an international perspective. In his role, he focuses on strengthening customer relationships, driving commercial growth, and iden- tifying new opportunities in Belgium and Luxem- bourg. “With his extensive experience and forward- looking vision, Jens aims to work with customers and partners to develop innovative parking and mobility solutions”, says IP Parking Belgium. Jens Zier Carsten Keite (left) and Nico Janich TKH Security is strengthen- ing its team in Germany with two experienced in- dustry experts. Carsten Keite has been serving as Managing Director of the company since 1 March. Fur- thermore, Nico Janich took up the position of Key Account Manager for the North-West region on 1 August. Carsten Keite suc- ceeds Nana Heinemann in the management team; she is due to leave the company at the end of the year. Keite has more than 30 years’ experience in the security sector and has held various senior posi- tions with manufacturers of electronic security sys- tems. Nico Janich also brings more than 30 years’ experience in mechanical and electronic security technology to the role. 8 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
LEAD STORY k r a p i t n o C ) s e g a m i l l a ( © Reopening ceremony: (from left) Frederik Suchla (District Mayor of Bielefeld), Olaf Lehwald (Head of the Transport Department of the City of Bielefeld), Stephan Opitz (Member of the Executive Board and Head of Operations at Contipark) and Wiland Kling (Managing Director of KL-ING. GmbH) Contipark Preservation Rather Than Demolition What the comprehensive refurbishment of the Ritterstraße car park in Bielefeld teaches us about sustainable construction: A case study by Contipark and partners. A nyone renovating a multi-storey car park dating from the 1960s is bound to encounter surprises. Contipark’s comprehensive refurbishment of the Ritter- straße multi-storey car park in Bielefeld thus evolved, step by step, from a planned mod- ernisation into one of the most technically challenging construction projects of recent years. The result was an investment of around eleven million euros, three years of construction and a car park that is equipped for the coming decades. Above all, however, it produced a project that exemplifies the contribution that refurbishments of existing buildings can make to the sustainable devel- opment of existing infrastructure. Of course, the easier option would have been demolition. Contipark made a con- scious decision against this. The load-bear- ing structure was retained, whilst almost everything else was renewed. However, this decision was not an emotional one, but rather the result of a technical, economic and, at the same time, environmental as- sessment. “For us, sustainability means more than just energy-efficient technology or modern mobility solutions. It begins with the responsibility to maintain and fur- ther develop existing infrastructure where it makes technical and economic sense. That is where we then plan refurbish- ments,” says Michael Kesseler, Managing Director of Contipark Parkgaragengesells- chaft mbH. A Building Full of Surprises One of the biggest challenges was hidden, of all places, in the reinforced concrete ceilings. The electrical cables for the original lighting had been laid in metal conduits within the ceilings. Over the decades, these conduits had corroded. What were once cable protec- tion conduits had become unintended water pipes. Moisture had penetrated deep into the structure. As a result, carrying out indi- vidual repairs was no longer an option. When the load-bearing joists were ex- posed, it became apparent that the actual ➜ Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 9
LEAD STORY ➜ reinforcement installed differed in places from the historical existing building plans. This realisation alone led to additional work costing nearly one million euros. Such sur- prises are an inherent part of any refurbish- ment of an existing building. For project manager Wieland Kling, Managing Director of KL-ING. GmbH, this is precisely where the difference lies between new-build and exist- ing structures. “Building a new car park is engineering. Understanding a car park that is over 60 years old and giving it a new lease of life is the art of engineering, with respect for what came before us.” Sustainability Requires Precision More than 325 heavy-duty supports and over 26 tonnes of bracing stabilised the building. At the same time, the structural framework was continuously monitored. This monitor- ing proved indispensable. When damage to a neighbouring building was reported during the construction work and the building site was initially suspected of being the cause, a glance at the measurement data was enough. The car park had not moved a single millimetre. The scale of the work illustrates the effort involved: more than 8,100 square metres of ceilings were replaced; around 1,480 cubic metres of concrete were delivered and poured by 211 concrete mixers; 215 tonnes of reinforcing steel were used; and over 44,500 reinforcement connections were made. During the frost period in early 2026, the building had to be heated so that the concrete work could continue. Team Effort Existing projects of this scale cannot be standardised. They thrive on the interplay between different specialist disciplines. Overall planning responsibility lay with KL- ING. GmbH in collaboration with HPI HIM- MEN. STRABAG AG was responsible for the construction work. Other key contributors included the concrete engineering firm Henksmeier, Elektro-Licht, Scheidt & Bach- mann, Service4Charger, as well as numerous other specialist planners and contractors. Many solutions were not devised at a desk, but through close collaboration on the build- ing site. And it was precisely this collaboration that made it possible to respond quickly to new insights whilst keeping quality, deadlines and cost-effectiveness in mind. For Stephan Opitz, a member of the Executive Board and Head of Operations, this was one of the most important lessons learnt from the project. “Of course, a new build would have been easier in many respects. But we wanted to preserve this site. Those who sensibly develop existing infrastructure take responsibility for resourc- es, for the city and for future generations.” A Building Block of the Mobility Transition For Contipark, sustainability does not end with a successful refurbishment, according to the company. Ritterstraße embodies a strategy that takes the entire life cycle of a car park property into account. Wherever it 10 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
makes technical and economic sense, the company focuses on preserving and further developing existing buildings. At the same time, Contipark is consist- ently investing in new mobility and energy concepts. These include the ongoing expan- sion of the charging infrastructure, the grad- ual transition to in-house operation of charg- ing points, and smart energy systems that combine photovoltaics, battery storage and digital load management. The development of the site is not yet complete with the completion of the build- ing. A photovoltaic system is set to go into operation on the roof as early as this au- tumn. Ritterstraße will thus become part of the Smart Energy Hub, which links photo- voltaics, battery storage, charging infra- structure and smart load management into a integrated system that utilises locally generated energy as efficiently as possible on site. Bielefeld is serving as a pilot site for Contipark to explore how car park proper- ties can be more closely integrated into lo- “Modern multi-storey car parks are just as much a part of sustainable urban development as buses and trains, cycling or attractive footpaths.” Olaf Lehwald, Head of the Transport Department, City of Bielefeld cal energy and mobility concepts in future, thereby becoming active components of a sustainable energy infrastructure in their own right. Developing a Car Park Sustainably “Developing a car park sustainably today means more than just refurbishing concrete. It means gradually transforming existing buildings into smart mobility and energy hubs. Ritterstraße demonstrates how this LEAD STORY transformation can begin,” says Thomas Szlaza, Head of Facility Management. Olaf Lehwald, Head of the Bielefeld Trans- port Authority, also confirms that this ap- proach extends far beyond the property itself. An efficient city centre does not require differ- ent modes of transport to compete with one another, but rather their intelligent interplay. Modern multi-storey car parks are therefore just as much a part of sustainable urban de- velopment as buses and trains, cycling or at- tractive footpaths. Ultimately, what matters is the accessibility of a vibrant city centre for people, retail, hospitality and culture. Ritterstraße is therefore more than just a successfully completed construction project. It demonstrates that sustainable construc- tion does not begin with solar panels or charging points. It begins with the decision to understand what already exists, to devel- op it further and to make it fit for the coming decades. According to Contipark, this is the most challenging form of sustainable con- ■ struction. Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 11
LEAD STORY Interparking Scaling up With Purpose 2025 marked an important year for Interparking, with the acquisition of Saba expanding the Group’s scale and European footprint. Solid financial performance, continued investment, progress in digitalization and the expansion of EV charging infrastructure sup- ported this transition, while the 2025 GRESB result reflected the robustness of the Group’s ESG approach. CEO Roland Cracco com- mented on this in an interview. number of strategic acquisitions. These in- cluded Mazarine in Paris, Brönnerstrasse in Frankfurt, and Centro Direzionale in Venice. Additional prime locations were secured in key European capitals such as Paris, Amster- dam and Brussels, respectively with the Mazarine, The Bank, and Lebeau car park, the latter located in the prestigious Sablon district. The investment programme also covered major renovation projects, including the Ga- rage Europa car park in Florence and Ve- lázquez in Madrid. We also supported the continued expansion of our electric charging network, as well as the reinforcement of our IT and digital platforms. At the same time, Saba continued to in- vest in strategic locations, notably in Chile, as well as through partnerships with public transport authorities such as Adif in Spain, the manager of the national railway infra- structure. This approach mirrors the long- standing model in Germany, where our sub- sidiary Contipark operates a joint venture with Deutsche Bahn. i g n k r a p r e t n I ) 2 ( © “The closing of the Saba acquisition has reshaped the Group as a leading pan- European parking and mobility operator.” Our objective is to invest 250 million eu- ros per year over the foreseeable future in new assets to be operated across the Group. Sustainability continues to shape Inter- parking’s strategic priorities. What con- crete progress was made in 2025, and how does this link to your GRESB perfor- mance? Roland Cracco, CEO of Interparking The year saw a major integration and a significant increase in scale for Interpark- ing. What stands out most when you look back on 2025? Beyond strong financial performance, last year marked the closing of the successful ac- quisition of Saba, approved without reme- dies by competition authorities, reshaping the Group as a leading pan-European park- ing and mobility operator. From a financial perspective, the results clearly reflect this change in scale. Consoli- dated revenue excluding non-recurring items reached 719.9 million euros (incl. Q4 with Saba), an increase of more than 20 per cent compared with 2024, while EBITDA rose by almost 30 per cent to 310.1 million euros. On a full year, combined basis, the enlarged Group is expected to represent close to 1 bil- lion euros in revenue and approximately 440 million euros in EBITDA. What does the integration of Saba repre- sent for Interparking in practical terms? By bringing together complementary net- works and teams, this operation strengthens our response to evolving urban mobility needs. By the end of 2025, the Group operat- ed around 2,100 sites in 567 cities across 15 countries, managing over 800,000 parking spaces. Today, team integration across geog- raphies is complete, enabling greater scale, shared expertise and faster innovation, while reinforcing our role as a long-term partner for cities. Investment remained high in 2025. Where were the main priorities? We invested more than 218 million euros in 2025 to support our growth and transforma- tion. These investments encompassed major construction projects, including the Port of Kołobrzeg car park in Poland, as well as a 12 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
LEAD STORY towards an investment-grade credit rating in the short to medium term. This ambition re- flects our commitment to long-term value creation, for our shareholders, our partners and the cities we serve. Finally, what are your priorities looking ahead? Our focus remains unchanged: with a strong emphasis on quality and operational excel- lence, customer experience, sustainability and innovation. Urban mobility is evolving rapidly, and Interparking aims to stay ahead through durable infrastructure, digital solu- tions and strong public partnerships. Supported by strong teams across all countries, the continued confidence of our shareholders, and trusted relationships with our partners, the Group is well positioned to deliver durable, long-term performance. ■ We significantly expanded our EV charging network, with charging stations increasing by more than 50% to over 9,500, positioning Interparking among the leading charging operators in several geographies. The pro- gress we made in the field of sustainability was reflected in our 2025 GRESB result, with a 97% score and a four-star rating, confirm- ing the maturity and consistency of our ESG approach. Following the integration of Saba, we are now reviewing our enlarged footprint and working on a revised net zero policy aligned with the Group’s expanded scope and ambitions. How does Interparking manage growth while maintaining financial discipline? Supporting growth at this scale requires a robust and flexible financial structure. In 2025, we significantly strengthened our fi- nancing framework to support the integra- tion of Saba and our ongoing investments. We diversified our funding sources, secured additional financing – aiming for an invest- ment grade rating in the medium term – and maintained a prudent approach to risk man- agement, including extensive interest rate hedging. Our objective is clear: to sustainably im- prove the Group’s financial profile and work APCOA From Ambition to Action A n 11 per cent reduction in emissions, a predominantly electric fleet, a charging network expanded by 43 per cent: the APCOA ESG Report 2025 tells a story of action. “Sustainability is not a goal for the future – it is a responsibility that APCOA proudly fulfils today.” Nicola Veratelli, CEO APCOA The APCOA ESG Report 2025 highlights measurable progress. Ac- cording to the report, the company has reduced its carbon foot- print by 11 per cent within a year and by 37 per cent since 2021, thereby achieving carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emis- sions across Europe. The fleet now consists of 52 per cent electric or hybrid vehicles. More than 5,375 charging points for electric ve- Cover of the APCOA ESG Report 2025 hicles have been installed, representing a 43 per cent increase within twelve months. Today, 90 per cent of the electricity comes from renewable sources. ■ A O C P A © Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 13
LEAD STORY p u o r G o g d n i I © Indigo Environmental, Social and Governance Strategy In order for our global develop- ment to be sustainable, I am commit- ted to Indigo Group: • Complies with or exceeds, whenever possible, applicable international and local health, safety and environ- mental regulations, • Identifies and prevents any potential risks to its employees, • Provides its teams with safe work- places, as well as the equipment and training needed to prevent accidents, Sébastien Fraisse, President of the Indigo Group Executive Board • Favours diversity, non-discrimination and access to skills building, employability and the promotion of all employees, without distinction of any kind, • Involves its employees and stakeholders in respecting the rules of good conduct, • Minimizes its environmental impacts by reducing its energy consumption, particularly in its car park facilities, imple- ment technologies and solutions that reduce its customers’ emissions while facilitating their access to individual mobil- ity that does not require fossil energy. Clear responsibilities have been assigned within the Group to manage its commitments”. In addition to sustained organic growth across all business divi- sions, Indigo is continuously investing to drive the Group’s development forward. The international company, headquar- tered in Puteaux near Paris, is promoting the development of sustainable mobility – such as cycling, electric vehicles and car-sharing – to complement its on-street and off-street park- ing activities. Digital technology also plays a key role, with the customer at the heart of the strategy. S uch innovation and adaptability cannot be achieved without harnessing the potential of the Group’s employees, whilst upholding ethical principles and minimising the impact on the environment. Indigo operates in over 580 towns and cities in France and abroad, and also places particular emphasis on respect for human rights. Decarbonisation Strategy The Indigo Group has been calculating its carbon footprint since 2018 and has been implementing a series of measures to reduce en- ergy consumption in its car parks for several years. These include the installation of energy-saving LED lighting in almost all car parks oper- ated by Indigo. These are combined with systems that regulate light- ing levels based on the presence of people, ensuring that car parks 14 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
LEAD STORY Pressoir de Bercy – previously used as car parking spaces – into an urban logistics facility. This project forms part of a concept aimed at supporting last-mile logistics whilst reducing its environmental impact, thereby contributing to a sustainable city. The Pressoir de Bercy is situated in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, just three kilometres from the Place de la Nation and 100 metres from the Bercy quays, and has direct access to the Boule- vard Périphérique. This prime location makes it possible to effi- ciently supply over 1.5 million residents and 5,500 retail outlets, whilst optimising the flow of goods into the heart of the capital. An urban logistics hub for a more sustainable city in the heart of Paris: Pressoir de Bercy “The Pressoir de Bercy is the first building block of an ambitious pilot project to develop over 20,000 m² of space for urban logistics The site, owned by Indigo, has been com- pletely redesigned to meet the requirements of urban logistics. It comprises a reception, operations and dispatch area, as well as staff facilities and charging points for electric vehi- cles. It also features areas dedicated exclu- sively to storage. across three multi-storey car parks in central Paris.” Xavier Heulin, Deputy Managing Director of INDIGO Urban Shift Bicycle Logistics in Brussels Indigo Belgium has teamed up with Urbeez to introduce bicycle logistics solutions in Brus- sels, thereby reducing the environmental footprint of urban freight transport. Since 2020, this partnership has enabled 100 per cent electric urban deliveries from the Indigo Royal car park in Brus- sels. Goods are either collected from customers or transported to Urbeez’s urban depots, which are located in car parks. Cargo bikes or electric delivery vans then take over to deliver the goods to the final recipients. ■ Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 15 Urbeez provides bicycle logistics together with Indigo in Brussels. are only fully lit when sensors detect a vehicle passing or a pedes- trian walking by. Real- time monitoring tools for electricity consumption have been implemented in the Group’s most energy-in- tensive car parks. Where the architectural de- sign permits, the Indigo Group also prioritises natural lighting and passive ventilation to mini- mise the use of energy-intensive systems. It has also committed to minimising the envi- ronmental impact during the planning, con- struction, refurbishment and operation of its infrastructure. Sustainable Mobility The Indigo Group is also committed to the mobility transition as part of the environmen- tal and energy transition, particularly on the part of users and cities. To this end, it has in- troduced a series of measures to support its customers’ transition to low-carbon mobility. These include, for example, the provision of secure cycle parking solutions through its Cyclopark product, as well as rental schemes for electric and conventional bicycles. In figures: there are 6,800 cycle parking spaces across more than 100 Cyclo- parks in Europe. To accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles, the Indigo Group is investing heavily in the expansion of charging stations. According to the company, 11,400 charging points are available in Indigo car parks worldwide. Over 300 car parks in France are equipped with charging points. In addition to standard charging, Indigo car parks also offer fast-charging stations designed to charge a vehicle in the shortest possible time. The group has also committed to integrating more and more electric vehicles – cars and two-wheelers – into its service fleet. Sustainable Urban Logistics: Example Paris In collaboration with Corsalis, a property operator specialising in ur- ban distribution, Indigo has converted over 2,000 m² of space at the
LEAD STORY Q-Park CSR Report and SUMP 3.0 Earlier this year, Q-Park published its ‘Annual CSR Report 2025’. It shows the company’s strategy, focus areas, ambitions and results, regarding non-financial and sustainability matters. k r a P - Q ) 3 ( © sion-free kilometres (2024: 77.7), represent- ing a 36 per cent increase. Through its ‘Part- nership for Sustainable Mobility’ programme, the operator supports urban mobility con- cepts by providing an increasing number of mobility hubs, as well as access to public transport and micromobility. Seamless Parking Services Through digital services, Q-Park ensures that its car parks are user-friendly and offer cus- tomers a seamless parking experience. The company’s proprietary ‘Parking as a Smart Service’ (PaSS) platform provides the tech- nological foundation for eliminating the need for parking tickets and walks to the cash machine. Currently, 816 car parks are equipped with PaSS, and in 619 of these, customers can book their parking space in advance. This means that subscribers, users of associated apps and the Q-Park app, as well as customers with a pre-booking, can enter and exit the car parks using their num- ber plate (APNR). SUMP 3.0 Seen as an Opportunity Q-Park sees the new EU mobility agenda as catalyst for smarter, more liveable cities. As SUMP 3.0 shifts Europe’s focus from mobility planning to measurable delivery, the operator is positioning its parking infrastructure, mobil- ity hubs, digital services and data capabilities as practical tools for urban transformation. Across Europe, cities are under pressure to cut congestion, improve air quality, accel- I n the report, Q-Park details the extent to which the company is reducing its carbon footprint per car park operated. For 2025, average CO₂ emissions per car park have been calculated at 10.5 kg CO₂ (2024: 14.2), which represents a reduction of 26 per cent. This was achieved by sourcing an average of 76 per cent (2023: 74 per cent) of the electric- ity for its car parks and electric vehicle charging points from renewable energy sources. According to its own figures, Q-Park has reduced its CO₂ footprint per parking space by 94 per cent since it began tracking emissions in 2010. Mobility Hubs and the Mobility Transition With a growing portfolio of Mobility Hubs, charging points for electric vehicles and partnerships for sustainable mobility, the company is contributing to the mobility transition in Europe. As at 31 December 2025, Q-Park states that it operates over 5,500 car park facilities, offering more than 1,200,000 parking spaces. By providing off- street parking, the operator is creating space for pedestrians and cyclists. Through sus- tainable mobility solutions, the company is helping to convert search traffic into destina- tion traffic and supporting the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Q-Park provides precise figures: 619 car parks with online pre-booking (2024: 510), 398 car parks with EV charging facilities (2024: 261) and 9,416 EV charging points (2024: 6,854), representing an increase of 37 per cent. According to these figures, by 2025 Q- Park will have facilitated 106 million emis- 16 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
erate decarbonisation and keep urban cen- tres accessible. The new SUMP 3.0 guide- lines raise the stakes by making sustainable urban mobility planning more delivery-fo- cused, with stronger emphasis on govern- ance, monitoring and measurable outcomes. For Q-Park in its own words, this is a sig- nificant moment. Parking is no longer only about managing vehicles at the end of a journey. In the SUMP 3.0 context, well-locat- ed parking facilities can become gateways into more sustainable urban travel, connect- ing motorists with public transport, walking, cycling, shared mobility and EV charging. Strong Presence in Node Cities Q-Park is already present in 84 of the 165 ur- ban node cities identified by the EU. This gives Q-Park a strong platform to support cities and Functional Urban Areas as they move from policy ambition to practical de- livery. “The future of parking is not simply about spaces, but about how those spaces help cit- ies work better,” said Frank De Moor – Q-Park CEO. “SUMP 3.0 creates a clearer framework for collaboration between public authorities and mobility partners. Our role is to bring infrastructure, data and operational exper- tise to the table so cities can deliver out- “The future of parking is not simply about spaces, but about how those spaces help cities work better.” Frank De Moor, Q-Park CEO comes that are visible, measurable and use- ful for residents, businesses and visitors.” The opportunity is particularly relevant beyond city boundaries. SUMP 3.0 places stronger emphasis on Functional Urban Are- as, reflecting the reality that daily journeys for work, education, retail and leisure rarely stop at municipal borders. Q-Park’s regional network of parking facilities can help au- thorities manage demand before vehicles enter (or create) the most congested areas, while preserving access to city centres. Measurable Mobility Outcomes Parking data can support decisions on de- mand, capacity, dwell times, modal transfer, LEAD STORY EV charging utilisation and the performance of P+R and mobility hub services. Q-Park parking facilities can connect motorists to public transport, active mobility, shared mo- bility and charging services, helping cities reduce pressure on streets and kerbsides. As low and zero emission zones and other ur- ban vehicle access regulations expand, off- street parking and mobility hubs can help maintain accessibility while reducing city- centre traffic. Selected parking facilities may also support micro-consolidation, last-mile delivery, cargo-bike distribution and more efficient servicing of dense urban areas. The common thread is partnership. SUMP 3.0 highlights the need for cooperation be- tween public authorities, transport opera- tors, businesses, residents and mobility pro- viders. Q-Park has committed to contribut- ing practical insights, location-specific data and operational expertise to help shape so- lutions that are both ambitious and feasible. As Europe’s cities prepare for the next phase of sustainable mobility planning, Q- Park sees an opportunity to help turn policy frameworks into practical improvements on the ground: fewer unnecessary vehicle movements, better multimodal connec- tions, cleaner access, and more liveable and economically vital urban centres. ■ Average CO2 footprint (kg CO2) per parking space (market based as of 2020) 179.1 176.0 181.1 176.9 160.7 159.9 155.6 153.1 220.0 200.0 180.0 160.0 140.0 120.0 100.0 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 0.0 118.8 104.9 104.6 93.3 48.3 44.4 14.2 10.5 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 17
LEAD STORY Hanne Ulvtorp, Sustainability Manager at Arrive e v i r r A © Background Discussion with Hanne Ulvtorp Arrive Unveils its Sustainability Strategy Arrive is unveiling a new sustainability strategy called MOVE. This strategy brings together data analyses from EasyPark, Flowbird and Parkopedia, which are united under the umbrella brand. The aim is to develop solutions for more liveable cities. We spoke to Arrive’s sustainability manager, Hanne Ulvtorp, about this. Marko Ruh: Can you tell us a bit about your role at Arrive? Hanne Ulvtorp: Essentially, Arrive has offi- cially established a formal, global sustaina- bility department. Louise Wallström is Direc- tor of Communications & Sustainability, and I joined as Sustainability Manager in Sep- tember last year. We also have Susanna Pal- ling Huusko as ESG Reporting Manager. So there are three of us working full-time on sustainability at Arrive. You focus on sustainable and durable materials. Can you give us some examples? We use hardware in many areas, ranging from payment terminals to our signage. We’re currently carrying out a review to as- sess how we can fundamentally improve our circular economy practices. This means de- veloping products that are more durable and can be repaired and recycled. Arrive doesn’t manufacture the products itself, does it? To some extent, yes. We have assembly plants where we put devices together. But of course, it also involves working closely with our suppliers. Do you have documentation on the materials used? Yes. For example, we know which materials are used in our payment terminals. We’re now looking into whether and how we can further develop these in terms of using more sustainable materials. In the European Union, the supply chain is heavily regulated. Do you support this? It serves as a benchmark for us. From a la- bour law perspective, we are introducing due diligence processes to gain better in- sight and transparency regarding our supply chain, so that we can take clear action. From an environmental perspective, we are im- proving the quality of our data. This enables us to make informed decisions on how to re- duce the environmental impact caused by our business activities. 18 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
In your estimation, what is the current standard of your suppliers? We are still in the early stages of this work and are actively collecting ESG data to gain a comprehensive picture. We will always pri- oritise a sustainable supply chain, which ideally means continuing to work with our existing suppliers and collaborating with them to drive more sustainable innovations. Do you feel they are ready for this? I think there is generally a strong trend to- wards more sustainable solutions and mate- rials – and also increased demand for them. “There is generally a strong trend towards more sustainable solutions and materials – and also increased demand for them.” I’ve read that you’ve defined ‘clear targets’. What do these look like? Although we haven’t yet joined the SBTi ini- tiative, we are in the process of setting sci- ence-based targets. This involves defining environmental targets for Scope 1, 2 and 3, which also encompasses the impact our sup- pliers have on us. We’re also integrating ESG criteria into our collaboration with suppliers and working with partners to drive forward emissions reduction plans across our entire value chain. “We’re integrating ESG criteria into our collaboration with suppliers and working with partners to drive forward emissions reduction plans across our entire value chain.” SBTi The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) is an organisation dedicated to corporate climate action, which aims to enable companies and financial institutions worldwide to play their part in tackling the climate crisis. Does this also apply internally to your international group? A large part of our work at the moment in- volves harmonising the data and ensuring that we apply the same methodology across the entire organisation. Once we have com- pleted this – which we expect to be by the end of this year – we will set group-wide tar- gets covering environmental, social and gov- ernance aspects. This will involve all global teams and branches and will apply to every- one at Arrive. What specific measures apply to your own staff when it comes to business travel? We are a global company, and to a certain extent, travel is necessary. However, we al- ways prioritise sustainable modes of trans- port. In Europe, we have excellent rail links, so wherever possible, we take the train in- stead of flying. We also collect data on our travel to inform our staff about the actual impact. At the same time, we are increasing- ly relying on virtual meetings to avoid travel. Is this part of a code of conduct? Whilst this is not part of our Code of Con- duct, we do have separate travel guidelines that provide our staff with clear guidelines and expectations regarding the way we meet and travel. In these guidelines, we offer ad- vice on how they can choose the more sus- tainable option. What standards does Arrive follow as an international company with its origins and headquarters in Sweden? We adhere to international standards. Many of these originate from both the UN and the EU. In doing so, we strive to meet the highest possible standards. For example, we follow the Paris Agreement when it comes to envi- ronmental standards, and UN regulations on social issues. “For example, we follow the Paris Agreement when it comes to environmental standards, and UN regulations on social issues.” LEAD STORY Do you feel that Arrive is a pioneer in the car parking sector with this sustainability strategy? There are certainly companies working on various sustainability initiatives. However, if we drive this development forward as we in- tend to, I believe we will occupy a fairly lead- ing position. Against this backdrop, I hope that other companies will follow suit and that we, as an industry as a whole, will push for sustainability. In that respect, I hope that we at Arrive will inspire others to do the same. Can sustainability also be marketed? With our traffic data, we can help cities re- duce their environmental impact. Our solu- tions enable local authorities to analyse their car park utilisation and make data- driven decisions that can extend beyond parking. For example, where car park utilisa- tion is low, green spaces, cycle paths or pe- destrian zones can be created. Cities can al- so use our services to implement climate policy measures, such as zero-emission zones where only electric vehicles – or no cars at all – are permitted. “With our traffic data, we can help cities reduce their environmental impact.” What data sources do you use for this? We map car park occupancy over a specific period to identify trends. Based on this, we develop an assessment. Do you have any specific case studies? We have a great example in Columbus, Ohio (USA), where our data was used to convert a heavily used car park into a pedestrian zone. Given the high volume of traffic in one part of the city centre, the decision was made to convert this area into a pedestrian zone to boost trade and reduce environmental im- pact at this location. Are European cities also ready for this? There are many cities in Europe that have com- mitted to becoming climate-neutral by 2030. However, they often struggle to get emissions and traffic congestion under control. Our solu- tions enable cities to make informed decisions rather than relying on guesswork. ■ Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 19
EPA NEWS “Proud Member of EPA” Corporate Members – Join Us! The European Parking Association (EPA) has been leading the way in Europe’s parking sector since 1983! As an umbrella organization, EPA brings together national parking associations and corporate members. Corporate Members of EPA M U N I T A L P D L O G R E V L I S APCOA Group www.apcoa.com Arrive www.arrive.com/en INDIGO GROUP www.group-indigo.com Interparking www.interparking.com Q-Park www.q-park.com Best in Parking Riverty www.bestinparking.com www.riverty.com SETEX APARKI www.gruposetex.es Skidata www.skidata.com VALEO www.valeo.com Autopay www.autopay.io/solutions Avantpark www.avantpark.de BSM https://bsmsa.cat/en Fondation des Parkings www.geneve-parking.ch/fr GOLDBECK Parking Services www.goldbeck-parking.de GreenFlux Marston Holdings PayByPhone www.greenflux.com https://marstonholdings.co.uk www.paybyphone.de Scheidt & Bachmann www.scheidt-bachmann.com SpotHero www.spothero.com Verra Mobility www.verramobility.com 20 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
EPA NEWS E PA’s primary goal is to foster cooperation between profession- al parking organizations across different European countries. By exchanging professional experience among its members, EPA helps to improve smart parking management and sustainable urban mobility across Europe whilst driving innovation and progress in the parking sector. Join us and see your logo included on the ’Cor- porate Members list’ in the next issue of Parking Trend International! We offer four options for Corporate Membership, each with different levels of benefits. For detailed information about the different catego- ries of Corporate Membership see: https://europeanparking.eu/membership-categories/ ACCS International www.accsinternational.com Amano www.amano.eu Arivo https://arivo.co Asura Automatic Systems www.asuratechnologies.com www.automatic-systems.com Be-Mobile www.be-mobile.com Billogram www.billogram.com BOE Parking www.boe-parking.at CAME Parkare www.cameparkare.com Citylytics www.citylytics.com City Park https://citypark.gr coeo Inkasso www.coeo-group.ai Commend DCBL – Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd. Demondo www.commend.com https://dcbltd.com www.demondo.com Designa www.designa.com Ease2pay www.ease2pay.com EFAFLEX www.efaflex.com Egis www.egis-group.com ETI Experts www.eti-experts.de E Z N O R B FairParken www.fairparken.com FIFI4PARKING www.fifi4parking.nl Fleximodo GreenPoint www.fleximodo.com www.greenpoint-partners.com Hectronic GmbH www.hectronic.com Hitachi Huber Parking www.hitachirail.com https://huber-parking.com HUB Parking Technology www.hubparking.com Imperial Civil Enforcement Solutions Infotrafic www.imperial.co.uk www.infotrafic.com Indigo Park Luxembourg www.group-indigo.com/fr/ Mobility46 Monit Data www.mobility46.se/en www.monitdata.com Nayax www.nayax.com Newlyn https://www.newlynplc.co.uk/ Nordisk Profil GmbH www.nordisk-profil.de Orbility Paas Park.Aero www.orbility.com www.paas.sk | www.paas-group.com https://agency.park.aero/en/ ParkDots s.r.o. www.parkdots.com Park & Charge https://parkcharge-digital.dev.asteroidea.com Parking Matters Limited https://parkingmatters.com Parkster www.parkster.com ParkTrade www.parktrade.com PBW. Parken verbindet. www.parktrade.com Primevest Projekt w Quinta Smart Parking Survision www.primevestcp.com www.projekt-w.de www.quinta-consulting.de/en www.smartparking.com www.survisiongroup.com Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 TKH Security https://tkhsecurity.com/ Wemolo GmbH www.wemolo.com Yespark www.yespark.fr Yunex Traffic www.yunextraffic.com 21
EPA NEWS | Corporate Member Portraits SpotHero – North America's Leading Digital Parking Marketplace EPA SILVER MEMBER o r e H t o p S ) 2 ( © SpotHero is North America's leading digital parking marketplace. Since 2011, it has parked more than 100+ million cars and sold over $2 billion in parking reservations. Its network spans more than 14,000 garages, lots and valets in over 400 cities across the U.S. and Canada. SpotHero is trusted by millions of drivers to make parking simple. In a few taps, users can compare options, see the full price prior to purchase and reserve a space for a commute, a con- cert or a flight, all backed by the SpotHero Parking Guarantee. Booking is also built into Google Maps and Apple Maps, so drivers can reserve parking while they plan their route. Behind every booking is an operator filling a space that might otherwise sit empty. SpotHero turns idle capacity into digital sales across hourly, monthly, event and airport parking. Operators keep full control of rates and inventory. SpotHero also partners directly with cities and municipal parking authorities to make city-owned garages bookable online. Residents and visitors can re- serve off-street city parking in advance instead of circling for an open spot, which eases congestion and makes downtowns easier to reach. At the same time, cities open a new revenue stream from parking assets they already own. In April 2026, SpotHero was acquired by Uber, with the goal to bring the parking marketplace to more users. With Uber’s global reach behind it, SpotHero is positioned to scale far beyond North America and bring more drivers to every facility it serves. www.spothero.com EPA BRONZE MEMBER Asura Technologies – We Recognize the Future Turning Video into Revenue and Cost Savings Asura Technologies develops AI-powered video analytics solutions for parking, tolling, traffic monitoring and smart city applications. Using advanced computer vision, Asura turns visual data into actionable mo- bility intelligence. This helps cities, parking operators and enforcement agencies automate parking compliance, improve operational efficien- cy and gain real-time visibility into curbside and parking activity. Serverless AI at the Edge What sets Asura apart is its serverless, on-camera AI architecture: vehi- cle recognition and analytics run directly on the camera, at the edge. Because no dedicated server infrastructure is needed, customers get faster deployment, lower total cost of ownership and easy scalability. technology stack, it has complete control over quality, security and its product roadmap, and can respond quickly to customer needs. Customers get a reliable, independent European technol- ogy partner. Built in Hungary, Trusted Worldwide While all research and development takes place in Hungary, As- ura serves customers worldwide, with deployments across Eu- rope, North America and Asia. Public and private sector organiza- tions rely on Asura's technology to modernize their mobility op- erations and make data-driven decisions, helping create safer, smarter and more sustainable cities. Founded in 2017, Asura is headquartered in Budapest, in the heart Proprietary Technology, Developed In-House All of Asura's software is proprietary and developed in-house, from AI models to the final product. Because Asura owns its full of Europe. www.asuratechnologies.com 22 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
Corporate Member Portraits | EPA NEWS Every Street. Every Day. No Hardware. EPA BRONZE MEMBER Citylytics gives cities a better way to understand how parking is used. By bringing together more than 100 data sources with our own ma- chine learning model, Citylytics provides parking occupancy, demand and pattern data across the entire street network. Instead of measur- ing a handful of locations at a time, cities can understand how park- ing is used across their streets and how it changes over time. Citylytics turns that data into practical street intelligence, help- ing cities compare areas and periods, identify hotspots, follow trends, evaluate changes and generate reports in one platform. Today, Citylytics works with 16 cities and three parking opera- tors, with deployments across five European countries, helping them move from fragmented measurements to a broader and more useful picture of their streets. Our goal is simple: make street data easier to access, easier to understand and much more useful for the people managing cit- ies. www.citylytics.com Bratislava Built its Parking Policy from Scratch and its City Company now Shares what it Learned EPA BRONZE MEMBER A car park is the first and last thing a customer experiences, and it shapes both impressions. We don't cut corners there. parking association of towns and municipalities, led by Peter Bánovec. Until 2022, Bratislava, a capital of nearly half a million peo- ple, had no citywide parking regulation. The City sets the rules. PAAS s.r.o., its own company, operates them: enforcement, permits, customer service and payments, with strong technol- ogy partners. The City rolls it out gradually, zone by zone, so residents can absorb each step: 41,000 regulated spaces, and still only part of the city. In 2025 it brought the city 23 million euros, and an independent survey found 70 to 93 percent of residents satisfied. We also helped found PAMOS, the Slovak We run what we recommend, from the city's parking policy to Avokado Parking, our own fully automated Park & Fly at the air- port. Under our PAAS Group brand we offer towns, developers and investors the same: site assessment, a tailored parking re- gime, modernisation of car parks or the right technology, from garages to EV charging. Planning a parking project in Slovakia? We are ready to help. www.paas.sk | www.paas-group.com Making Parking Part of the EV Charging Network EPA BRONZE MEMBER As electric vehicles move from niche to mainstream, the challenge is no longer simply installing chargers, it is making charging easy to manage, easy to pay for and seamlessly connected to the places where cars already stop. That is the space Park & Charge is target- ing. Founded in Tunisia and now operating through its subsidiary in Malta, the company develops technology that brings EV charg- ing and parking together on one digital platform. At the core is a back-office platform for charge point operators, with OCPP charger management, tariffs, invoicing, RFID and report- ing. Around it, Park & Charge has built several customer-facing tools, including Wayev for residential and workplace charging, Chargy for public charging, and Chargy Web for app-free, QR-based access. The standout proposition is its Smart Parking Connector, which links parking and charging transactions. License-plate recogni- tion can connect a vehicle’s parking record to a charging session, enabling automatic parking discounts, enforcement of charging- bay misuse and a unified payment experience. With deployments spanning Rome Airport, Tesla sites in Ger- many and a residential project in Madrid, Park & Charge is build- ing an international footprint from its North African base. Its posi- tioning is straightforward: make the relationship between the parking space and the charging point work as one experience. www.parkandcharge.io Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 23
EPA NEWS | Corporate Member Portraits Fleximodo: The Data Layer for Smarter Parking EPA BRONZE MEMBER Cities and parking operators across Europe are under pressure to get more out of the parking they already have. New spaces are expensive to build, curb space is contested, and decisions on pricing, enforcement and accessibility increasingly need evi- dence rather than estimates. Yet most parking assets are still managed without a clear picture of how they are actually used. Fleximodo provides that missing layer: real-time, bay-level oc- cupancy data for on-street and off-street parking. The data feeds directly into the systems operators and municipalities already run, from payment and enforcement to driver guidance, permits and city platforms. With reliable occupancy data, pricing can fol- low demand, compliance can be measured, and existing capacity can do more before anyone builds new spaces. Fleximodo delivers projects end to end, from design and in- stallation to integration, and stays on as the long-term operating partner. More than 71,000 bays in over 50 countries report to the platform today. Recent projects show the range. In Rome, 7,500 on-street bays give the Italian capital a live view of how its street parking is used. In Reșița, Romania, a turnkey system connects 2,100 bays to guidance and digital payment, and it has become a reference for medium-sized cities in the region. The next focus is accessible parking. EU Directive 2024/2841 in- troduces a single European disability parking card, which applies from June 2028. Fleximodo is developing real-time checks that a reserved bay is used by an authorised driver. Rome and Cyprus are among the first partners. “Most cities don’t need more parking. They need to know how they use what they already have”, explains Ján Hrončák, Head of Fleximodo www.fleximodo.com Hitachi Rail: A Worldwide Presence with a Strong European Footprint EPA BRONZE MEMBER With more than €7 billion in revenue, 24,000 employees, and op- erations in 50 countries, Hitachi Rail develops integrated mobility solutions spanning rolling stock, signaling, digital systems, oper- ations management, ticketing, and parking management. The acquisition of Thales GTS in 2024 further strengthened this posi- tion, making Hitachi Rail one of Europe’s leading mobility play- ers, with nearly half of its workforce based on the continent. Driving the future of smart parking Hitachi Rail is transforming parking from a standalone infrastruc- ture into a digital gateway for mobility and urban services. Com- bining smart parking technologies, artificial intelligence and digi- tal service platforms, Hitachi Rail enables a seamless user jour- ney through online booking, subscription management, integrated payments and access to mobility services. From AI- powered licence plate recognition to the integration of parking within MaaS and urban mobility ecosystems, Hitachi Rail helps operators deliver a connected, frictionless experience while im- proving operational efficiency and supporting more sustainable and integrated cities. The company’s solutions are deployed across a wide range of mobility environments, including major international airports such as Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly, flagship railway stations including Gare du Nord and Montparnasse, as well as urban Park & Ride facilities. This multi-modal expertise allows Hitachi Rail to address the needs of air travel, long-distance rail, daily commuting and urban mobility through a single, integrated approach to parking and access management. www.hitachirail.com 24 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
EPA NEWS EPA Annual General Assembly 2026 Continuity and New Voices Within the Board Over 80 members of the European Parking Association (EPA) came together on Friday 25 September in Dublin for the 2026 EPA Annual General Assembly. The meeting reviewed the Association’s work over the past year, included important governance decisions and set the scene for EPA’s next major gathering in Brussels in 2027. A n important part of this year’s Gen- eral Assembly was the election of one of the EPA Vice-Presidents and six members of the Board. Michael Kesseler (Bundesverband Parken) was re-elected as Vice-President, while Manuel Barrios (ASES- GA), Philip De Brabanter (Belgian Parking Federation), Christian Tønnevold (NORPARK) and Roland Cracco (Interparking) were re- elected to the Board. Klara Svejdova (SKIDA- TA) and Marco Siragusa (Verra Mobility) were newly elected, bringing diversity and new perspectives to EPA’s leadership team. EPA’s President Theo Thuis also thanked James Toal (SKIDATA) and Giovanna Piras (Automatic Systems) - who stepped down from the Board after eight and two years re- spectively - for their commitment and contri- bution to the Association during their time as Board members. The election results provide continuity within the Board while also introducing new voices as the Association develops its work across parking policy, technology, data, en- forcement, electromobility and other areas of growing importance to the sector. Working Groups Report on the Past Year’s Progress EPA’s Policy & Strategy Committee1 and its Working Groups2 are an important part of the Association’s activities, bringing togeth- er expertise from across its membership to address key issues affecting the sector. During the General Assembly, their Chairs and Co-Chairs presented updates on their ac- tions and achievements during the past year. These presentations, shared with all EPA members after the meeting, demonstrated the breadth of work taking place across the 1 See https://europeanparking.eu/policy-strategy- commitee/ 2 See https://europeanparking.eu/working-groups/ A P E ) 3 ( © Klara Svejdova (SKIDATA) was newly elected as member of the Board. Marco Siragusa (Verra Mobility) is a new member of the Board. Association, covering areas including com- munications, electromobility, digitalisation and data sharing, cross-border enforcement, the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities, as well as the growing European Women in Parking (EWiP) network. Back to Brussels in 2027 Members were also given a preview of EPA’s next major gathering: the 22nd European Parking and Mobility Conference & Exhibi- tion, which will take place in Brussels from 21–23 September 2027 (NEW DATE!) under the theme “Unlocking Urban Space – Where Policy, Infrastructure and Technology Meet.” The 2027 EPA Conference will explore how these three interlinking components are reshaping parking and mobility and how the sector can contribute to making better use of increasingly valuable urban space. With its central location and excellent inter- national transport connections, Brussels is easily accessible from across Europe. Its po- sition at the heart of EU decision-making al- so provides an opportunity to attract Euro- pean policymakers and institutional speak- ers, strengthening the dialogue between the parking and mobility sector and those shap- ing urban policy at local, national and Euro- pean level. Following the 2026 Annual General As- sembly, EPA’s focus and communications will now shift towards the 2027 Conference in less than a year from now to ensure it sur- passes the success of the 2025 edition! ■ Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 25
EPA NEWS h u R o k r a M ) s o t o h p l l a ( © EU Policy Forum on Mobility & Parking “Parking is an Effective Mobility Tool” The day before the Association’s Annual General Assembly, EPA hosted its inaugural EU Policy Forum on Mobility & Parking in Dublin, bringing together senior representatives from European and national institutions, cities and the wider mobility sector. With Ireland currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the choice of Dublin as host city felt natural and also brought the appreciated support of the Irish Parking Association (IPA), as well as Meet in Ireland. IPA Chairman Brian Moore, from the Port of Waterford, emphasised that parking has become an integral part of a wide range of policies, from mobility to climate and from urban development to economics. The aim is to support political decisions that attract people to cities, not “EPA’s role is more important than ever.” Brian Moore, Irish Parking Association opening words EPA President Theo Thuis said, “Parking is changing — and the world around us is changing even faster.” He then gave examples: “Cities are reorganising. Peo- ple and goods move differently. Electric mo- bility is accelerating. Digital platforms are re- shaping services. And now, the extraordinary pace of artificial intelligence is transforming the environment in which we operate.” Thuis cited a recent interview with Parking Trend International (Q2 2026 edi- tion), in which he described the develop- ment of the parking sector through the “triangle” of Policy, Infrastructure an Tech- nology. He went on to elaborate on these three elements and linked them to the five policy priorities of EPA’s Manifesto 2025– 20301. First Session: “Update from Brussels” The first session, convened by EPA Executive Director Tom Antonissen, started with 1 See https://europeanparking.eu/epa-manifesto- 2025-2030/ “It is truly an interesting moment for our sector.” Theo Thuis, EPA President turn them away. To meet these evolving challenges, the IPA is now entering a unique partnership with the British Parking Associ- ation (BPA) to create a professionally re- sourced All-Ireland Parking Network. At the same time, parking policies remain high on the EU agenda, Moore said, and therefore EPA's role is more important than ever. EPA's EU Policy Forum offered a timely op- portunity to examine the European policies and projects shaping urban mobility and parking, and the parking sector's role in a rapidly evolving mobility landscape. In his 26 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
Commission's Expert Group on Urban Mobil- ity, in which EPA representatives are invited to participate as ad hoc experts. Topics such as cross-border enforcement and the Euro- pean Parking Card for persons with disabili- ties are on the agenda there. He also men- tioned the upcoming Sustainable Tourism Strategy, to which the parking sector should pay particular attention as well. “The battle for EU budgets is challenging in these times.” Peter Staelens, Eurocities From EU and national policies, the EPA Fo- rum then moved to the local level with Eurocities, an organisation representing 150 major European cities in Brussels with over 80 staff. Peter Staelens, its Head of Mobility, reported that there are a great many internal working groups within Eurocities, and quite a few of them deal with mobility and par- king. He also presented specific EU-funded projects that relate to parking, to which Eurocities contributes (including the recent- ly launched GOLIA project, where EPA is a partner as well1). One particular example raised was Lyon, where parking policies have been introduced that also take into account the size and weight of vehicles. At a more macro-level, Eurocities is currently very ac- tive in the future EU budget discussions be- tween the European Parliament and Mem- ber States, to secure budget for urban mobil- ity and “urban nodes” (i.e. cities) on the TEN-T network. Second Session: “Beyond the Parking Bubble” The second Forum session moderated by EPA President Theo Thuis, brought together vari- ous speakers exploring the value of cross- EPA NEWS sector collaboration and the opportunities to connect parking more closely with the wider mobility ecosystem. “Logistics can unlock the potential of multifunctional urban parking space.” Marion Cottet, ALICE First was Marion Cottet, Deputy Programme Manager & Technical Lead at ALICE, a Euro- pean technology platform representing ur- ban logistics. The logistics sector is always on the lookout for urban space that is acces- sible, safe, flexible and available, said Cottet. This is where the potential link to smart car park management became apparent. She cited a figure for Dublin, the host city, where an estimated 43 per cent of off-street parking spaces are, on average, unused. She there- fore invited car park operators to share space and time so that parking areas can be used for multiple purposes, including as lo- gistics space. She sees this as an opportunity for operators to generate more business. “The involvement of public authorities is highly recommended for large-scale projects.” Sébastien Fraisse, President of the Executive Board of INDIGO Group 1 See www.golia-project.eu/ On the same topic, Sébastien Fraisse, Presi- dent of the Executive Board of INDIGO Group ➜ “Decarbonization stands above all.” Caoimhin O’Ciaruain, Irish Department of Transport Caoimhin O’Ciaruain, Assistant Secretary General for Climate Action and the EU at the Irish Department of Transport, representing the Irish Presidency of the EU and freshly back from an informal EU Council of Trans- port Ministers, which took place in Dublin Castle earlier in the week. He saw numerous points of convergence between the EPA Mani festo and the objectives of his govern- ment. He described holding the EU Presi- dency as a huge privilege. It offered the chance to influence the “direction of the ship”. Parking was an “effective tool” within the framework of a demand management strategy. The aim is to create liveable and ac- cessible cities. Axel Volkery took part via video link: “Parking is a key component of SUMP.” Axel Volkery, the Head of Unit for Innovation and Urban Mobility at the European Com- mission’s DG MOVE, joined the event via live video link. He spoke about the 2026 update of the SUMP guidelines, so-called SUMP 3.0, which he described as a “local tool” to sup- port cities in their strategic mobility policies. Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP) can also be useful in popular tourist destina- tions for managing city access and traffic flow. Volkery also mentioned EGUM, the Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 27
EPA NEWS ➜ an EPA Board Member for FNMS, had a con- crete example to share. In Paris, there are “plenty of white vans”, he began. It is esti- mated that 200,000 B2B deliveries take place daily in the French capital and 350,000 par- cels are delivered. The estimated space re- quired for urban logistics in Paris is around 300,000 to 420,000 m2. INDIGO operates around 100 car parks in Paris alone, with a total area of around 1 million m2. They in- vested 35 million euros in one particularly large site, the Foch car park, to create an un- derground logistics area through extensive refurbishment. Following a construction phase lasting several years, 12,000 m2 is now available there for logistics purposes. To achieve this, around half of the more than 2,000 parking spaces were repurposed. The project was launched in 2019 under the title “Car Park of the Future”, led by renowned architect Dominique Perrault. “A parking is not a piece of concrete; it is a service hub.” Dirk Penasse, ESPORG Another European organisation linked to parking, and EPA, ESPORG’s mission is to promote and improve safe and secure truck parking. Their General Manager, Dirk Penasse, gave a passionate talk on the needs and significant problems faced by lorry driv- ers when looking for a parking space. (See also the interview on page 32) “It takes lorry drivers around an hour to find a place to park for the night.” There are approximately two million long-haul lorry drivers on the roads in Europe. These figures alone highlight the need to improve and expand the provision of lorry parking facilities. To support this, ESPORG has introduced the Truck Parking Award and championed the EU Parking Standard for Safe and Secure Parking, which was introduced in 2022 by EU law. “Parking can support public transport.” Lottie Stainer, UITP Finally, Lottie Stainer, Manager of the Trans- port and Urban Life Committee at the UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics – International Association of Public Trans- port), joined the EPA Policy Forum via video link as well, as she had unfortunately missed her plane to Dublin earlier that day. She described that UITP also shares com- mon interests with the parking sector. They have recently set up a Parking Transforma- tion Working Group, headed by the parking operators/authorities from Dubai and Mon- treal. In UITP's view, according to Stainer, parking has a significant influence on peo- ple’s mobility behaviour and their modal choice. Mobility hubs, for example, can help encourage a shift towards public transport. She therefore advocated for integrated mo- A Close Relationship with EU in Practice On the eve of its Annual General Assembly, EPA organised its first EU Policy Forum on the topic of mobility and parking, with invited speakers from European institutions, cities and the wider mobility sector. The forum demonstrated the high level of atten- tion which the issue of parking in the transport sector now commands, prompting over 80 high-ranking rep- resentatives to attend the event. Given the wide-ranging interest in parking that emerged in Dublin, including from other sectoral organi- sations, it is clear that something is coming together here. However, to ensure that this does not happen at the expense of dedicated on- and off- street parking management, the sec- tor must remain confident and vigi- lant so as not to let others take the bread and butter from under its nose. Both EPA President Theo Thuis and Executive Director Tom Antonissen, as well as leading representatives of parking operators made this point very clear. Commentary by PTI Editor-in-Chief Marko Ruh, who joined EPA in Dublin bility strategies that also capitalise on the dynamics of on- and off-street parking. “Parking remains significantly undermeas- ured,” Lottie Stainer concluded. ■ Interview with Andrea Annunziata, EPA’s EU Affairs & Projects Manager “The Goal is to Strengthen EPA’s Voice” PTI Chief Editor Marko Ruh interviewed EPA’s newest staff member Andrea Annunziata, who joined the EPA Secretariat on 1st April 2026 as EU Affairs & Projects Manager A typical question in an international set- ting: Where are you from? Born and raised in Olbia, a small town on Sardinia’s beautiful northeastern coast in It- aly. I moved to Rome, where I graduated from Sapienza University. After spending a few months studying in Brussels, I moved there in 2017. What is your professional background? I hold a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in political 28 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
science. My professional experience spans the European Commission, the private sec- tor and European associations – notably a few years at the logistics platform ALICE, as Projects & Policy Support Officer, which is where I met EPA for the first time. Over the years, I’ve developed strong expertise in EU projects and policies, which I am now happy to bring to EPA directly. What are your responsibilities and objectives at EPA? As EU Affairs and Projects Manager, I coordi- nate EPA’s involvement in EU-funded pro- jects on sustainable urban mobility and con- tribute to its policy work. I also manage two of EPA’s Working Groups, namely those on Electromobility and Enforcement. My work focuses on connecting EPA members and the wider parking sector with broader European policy priorities, including EVs & electrifica- tion, AFIR & EPBD, cross-border enforce- ment and parking rights for people with dis- abilities. I aim to involve EPA and its mem- bers in more relevant EU-funded projects while ensuring the parking sector’s perspec- tive is taken into account within the relevant EU policy files. As such, I support exchanges between parking operators, cities, industry, and public authorities. My role is to identify where those opportunities are relevant and help translate them into something useful for our members. Have you initiated any specific projects so far? Since joining EPA on 1st April 2026, I’ve been involved in managing our contributions to two ongoing Horizon Europe projects, DISCO and GOLIA, while also developing new pro- ject opportunities. Already in April, I coordi- nated EPA’s contribution to a proposal under the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) funding programme, helping to define EPA’s role and shape our contribution around parking, ur- ban space management, and transferability. Unfortunately, we received the news in July that the project proposal did not qualify for funding, but it certainly helped me “hit the ground running”! More recently, I’ve been working on EPA’s contribution to a new CIVITAS initiative on urban mobility, with a deadline in October, as well as on a new Horizon Europe proposal Andrea Annunziata focused on EVs, batteries, and fire safety in confined areas (incl. parking facilities). The latter builds on the work of our Electromo- bility Working Group and EPA’s Fire Safety Advice Toolbox. Our project work creates opportunities for EPA and its members to take part in European partnerships, ex- change knowledge, and develop solutions together with cities, industry, and research organizations. How do members benefit from your work? The approach I’m taking is to turn our mem- bers’ priorities into concrete project propos- als, policy contributions, and new partner- ships. The goal is to strengthen EPA’s voice and make sure the parking sector is well represented in Brussels. More recently, I’ve been focusing on two Horizon Europe sub- missions while preparing the ground for EPA and its members to get involved in more Eu- ropean projects next year. Through the Elec- tromobility and Enforcement Working Groups, between April and August I’ve coor- dinated EPA’s response to two European Commission consultations: one on the Euro- pean Parking Card for persons with disabili- ties and a second one on the ongoing review of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regu- lation (AFIR). I also developed an internal working note on financial losses across Eu- rope due to the lack of cross-border enforce- ment of parking infringements, stemming EPA NEWS from the progress made by the Enforcement Working Group last year, which takes Am- sterdam as a benchmark. Moreover, I bring previous experience in transport and R&I, along with direct knowl- edge of the main stakeholders in Brussels, including many of the organizations EPA col- laborates and exchanges with. And in my first three months, I also had the pleasure to bring three new members on board. A P E © What does your typical working day look like? Mondays usually start off with EU policy monitoring, going through project proposals and legislative updates, if any, while prepar- ing the week ahead. Tuesday mornings are fully booked by our weekly team meeting with the entire EPA Secretariat, which allows us to update each other on our individual priorities and coordinate our teamwork. During the rest of the week, a substantial part of my work is follow-through: refining draft deliverables, following up working group activities to make sure agreed actions move forward, sometimes attending key events in Brussels or travelling to meetings elsewhere, aligning on actions with the Ex- ecutive Director Tom Antonissen, and jump- ing on calls for project meetings. What has been your personal impression of the parking industry so far? A couple of weeks ago I attended a POLIS Parking working group meeting in Lille to discuss some of the issues currently shaping our sector, and to share EPA’s perspective on key EU policy files. In the afternoon, we took part in a site visit to a car park operated by INDIGO Group, an EPA member. For some- one still relatively new to the parking sector, it was particularly valuable to see firsthand how many of the topics we discuss at EU level actually play out on the ground. The meeting was also a nice opportunity to build on the conversations started with EPA members at our Annual General Assem- bly at the end of September in Dublin, which was my first occasion to really “meet and greet” many EPA members. Getting to know the people behind the sector has been one of the most useful parts of these first months with EPA, and I’m certainly eager for more! ■ Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 29
EPA NEWS Update on the DISCO Project Four Twinning Cities Evolving from Replication to Real-World Transformation After more than three years of research, experimentation and collaboration, the DISCO project is approaching its conclusion. Coordinated by FIT Consulting and funded under the Horizon Europe R&D programme with EPA as one of its key partners, DISCO has explored how data-driven solutions and Physical Internet principles can support cleaner, more effi- cient and better integrated urban freight systems. A central feature of DISCO has been its two-stage Living Lab approach. The first demonstration phase took place in the four Starring Living Labs of Copenhagen, Ghent, Helsinki and Thessaloniki. The second phase moved the focus to the Twinning Living Labs of Padua, Zaragoza, Barcelona and Valencia. Their role was not simply to reproduce what had already been tested. They adapted DIS- CO solutions to different urban conditions, governance frameworks, logistics markets and local priorities, providing evidence about what replication actually requires. What has been learned is that urban logis- tics solutions cannot simply be copied from one city to another. Public-space regula- tions, infrastructure, freight demand, availa- ble data, stakeholder relationships and busi- ness conditions vary substantially. The Twin- ning Living Labs therefore became a test of adaptability as much as technology. In some cases, they even went beyond the solutions tested by the Starring Living Labs, showing that knowledge transfer can generate new approaches rather than one-directional rep- lication. Padua: Connecting the Curb With Flexible Last-Mile Logistics Padua explored how curbside space, mobile logistics infrastructure and data could work together in a constrained historic urban en- vironment. The demonstration combined a bookable curbside loading-zone system with modular electric pods used as dynamic parcel lockers. The approach linked two A P E © the demonstration. The pilot therefore pro- vided evidence not only about the technical solution, but also about the regulatory condi- tions that would be required for permanent deployment. Zaragoza: Turning Existing Urban Space into Logistics Infrastructure Zaragoza addressed a different but closely related challenge: how to use existing mu- nicipal assets to support more sustainable last-mile logistics. The city and last-mile op- Zaragoza Padua complementary questions. First, can cities manage loading space more dynamically ac- cording to actual logistics demand? Second, can the same locations support new delivery models that reduce the need for convention- al door-to-door operations? During the three- month pilot, 328 packages were delivered across three city stalls. The zone-selection algorithm achieved an 84.4 per cent delivery success rate, providing practical evidence of the potential of demand-responsive curb management. Evaluation results also showed substantial potential for reducing delivery distances. The measure recorded a 48 per cent reduction in distance travelled, while one of the tested algorithms reduced failed deliveries by more than 53 per cent. At the same time, the evaluation highlighted that failed deliveries remained too high for the solution to be considered commercially ma- ture, illustrating the importance of looking beyond a single positive KPI when assessing scale-up potential. Padua also exposed a fundamental issue for dynamic curb management: technology can progress faster than regulation. Italian traffic regulations did not allow the exclusive reservation of the public space required by 30 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
EPA NEWS Faced with severe disruption across the Va- lencia region, the Living Lab redirected its work towards emergency logistics. Rather than continuing with the demonstration as originally conceived, the partners applied the underlying DISCO approach to a real hu- manitarian logistics challenge. A logistics hub was established in a repurposed fruit warehouse in Alcàsser, close to the affected municipalities. A web platform was devel- oped to capture and structure aid requests, while last-mile distribution evolved as road accessibility recovered. The resulting model connected three functions: rapid use of available infrastructure, aggregation of veri- fied demand and organised distribution. The scale was substantial. The Alcàsser hub sup- ported 154,699 residents across eleven mu- nicipalities. Valencia clearly showed how logistics concepts developed for sustainable urban freight can also contribute to urban resil- ience when infrastructure and conventional supply chains are suddenly disrupted. Final Event in Rome DISCO is now moving towards its final mile- stone with the project ending in October. On 15 October 2026, the project brought its community together at Palazzo Merulana in Rome for the DISCO Final Event, presenting and discussing the results of more than three years of experimentation and what can be taken forward beyond the project. ■ To find out more about the project deliverables and outcomes, please see: https://discoprojecteu.com/ Barcelona erator CityLogin jointly developed a micro- hub in the former Mercado de San Vicente de Paúl, demonstrating how an underused mu- nicipal facility could acquire a new logistics function. Parcels arriving at the microhub could be transferred to zero-emission last- mile modes, including electric vehicles, car- go bikes and assisted delivery carts. The demonstration moved well beyond a conceptual exercise. More than 7,000 pack- ages were delivered from the repurposed market during the pilot. The evaluation re- corded a 59 per cent reduction in distance travelled for this measure. It also demon- strated that zero-emission delivery models can make different use of the urban network, including pedestrian areas, while reducing conventional delivery traffic in the historic centre. Barcelona: Seeing what is Really Happening at the Curb Barcelona focused on a problem familiar to parking and curbside managers: knowing how loading and unloading areas are actually being used. The city already operates a spe- cific system, through which professional us- ers declare loading and unloading opera- tions. DISCO added another layer of informa- tion by deploying AI-powered computer vision at three loading and unloading zones. The cameras provided objective observations of vehicle activity that could be compared with the information registered through the existing system. The monitored loading zones showed actual utilisation above 91 per cent, compared with an assumed level of 41 per cent. For urban authorities, the significance extends beyond enforcement. Better informa- tion about when, where and how curb space is used can support decisions on capacity, operating hours and the transition from static regulations towards more dynamic manage- ment. DISCO's experience therefore suggests that the value of digitalisation does not lie simply in collecting more data, but in con- necting complementary sources and translat- ing them into information that supports plan- ning and operational decisions. Valencia: When a Living Lab Meets a Real Crisis Valencia followed a radically different path after the original plan changed following the catastrophic DANA floods of October 2024. Valencia Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 31
EPA NEWS Interview with ESPORG “Infrastructure Must be Planned Around User Needs” ESPORG – The European Safe & Secure Parking Organisation is setting standards for truck parking which unites more than 120 safe and secure parking area members across Europe. At EPA’s inaugural EU Policy Forum on Mobility & Parking 2026 in Dublin, ESPORG’s General Manager Dirk Penasse was present as one of the guest speakers (see p. 28). Ahead of the event, we conducted an interview to provide a closer look at the organisation. h u R o k r a M © How has the job profile of a truck driver changed in Europe? The role has become more demanding and regulated, as the Mobility Package intro- duced stricter driving and rest time rules. As the EU faces a chronic driver shortage (over 500,000 in Europe), this increased the impor- tance of improving working conditions and the attractiveness of the profession. To at- tract and retain more professional drivers, including women and young drivers – the profession needs significantly improved working and rest conditions, starting with safe, clean, comfortable, and well-equipped parking facilities that respect dignity and contribute to drivers’ wellbeing. What do truck drivers expect from park- ing areas, and what could car parking learn from this? Truck drivers expect safety, comfort and pre- dictability. Safety means protection against cargo theft, vehicle crime and personal secu- rity risks. Comfort includes clean sanitary fa- cilities, food services, connectivity and rest areas. Predictability means knowing in ad- vance that a parking space will be available. The most successful facilities focus on the overall driver experience. The “Home Away from Home” concept — prioritising wellbe- ing, comfort, and a welcoming atmosphere — is central to our ESPORG Wellbeing Cam- paign. By focusing on drivers’ wellbeing ser- vices, secure parking provides a positive driver experience. We have many excellent examples from the winners and runner-up awarded parkings for the Excellence in Truck Parking and Home Away from Home catego- ry, as well as from our Wellbeing Ambassa- dors that have dedicated services and facili- Dirk Penasse, General Manager ESPORG ties for drivers’ wellbeing like: TV room, re- laxation area, gym, washing machines, healthy food options, and Wellbeing events. In which countries are there major prob- lems with the availability of (safe and secure) truck parking? The 2025 European Commission study coor- dinated by ESPORG reveals a critical EU- wide shortage of approximately 390,000 se- cure parking spaces, projected to grow to 483,000 by 2040. The largest gaps are in Ger- many, Poland, France, the Benelux coun- tries, Central European Member States, Spain, and Italy — precisely the high-traffic corridors where overcrowding of existing rest areas is most acute. Drivers often spend an average of one hour searching for a safe place to stop, leading to increased stress, higher speeds toward the end of driving shifts, and elevated accident risk. Are rest areas with more space and a wid- er range of services, located away from main motorways, becoming a trend? We see the parking needs for inter-modality, cross-border connectivity and the compre- hensive TEN-T network. What problems can digitalisation solve? Digitalisation can optimize the supply chain and create a win-win situation for all parties involved — drivers, hauliers, parking opera- tors, shippers, and other users. How is the EU addressing these issues? The European Commission – with intensive support of ESPORG-Experts – developed an EU-Parking Standard, the official standard for truck parking areas in the EU established by EC Delegated Regulation 2022/1012. It is also important to mention the recent EU studies coordinated by ESPORG on the avail- ability, suitability, and security of rest and parking facilities across the EU. The European Commission has also sup- ported the launch of the European Wellbeing Initiative at the ESPORG Annual Conference 2025. At our Conference this year, the Euro- pean Commission has highlighted the grow- ing strategic importance of safe and secure parking areas for the future of European freight transport. Which stakeholders play key roles? European Commission, the Member States and local authorities play the key role in en- suring the development of the secure park- ing infrastructure across the EU, as provided by the EU legislation. Member States must ensure that certified Safe and Secure Park- ing Areas (SSPAs) are developed along the 32 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
EPA NEWS ment Award 2026 and the new “Home Away from Home” Award 2026. It stands out as this year’s green parking champion, excelling in sustainability measures (such as waste sorting, water-saving systems, LED lighting with sensors, and electric plug-ins for refrigerated trailers) while also prioritising driver wellbeing through dedi- cated facilities, varied food options, and a strong service culture. • Recharge City (Denmark) — Winner of the Excellence in Truck Parking Award 2025 and runner-up in the same category in 2026. The facility is recognised for combin- ing strong security with modern services and sustainability features, demonstrating how innovation can enhance both opera- tional performance and driver experience. • mowiz TRUCK Astigarraga (Spain) — Multi- ple award winner, including recognition in the Green Parking Standard and first Well- being Ambassador of ESPORG. It excels in sustainability, driver wellbeing services, and high operational standards, serving as a strong example of how green practices can be successfully integrated into secure truck parking. These facilities from France, Denmark, and Spain illustrate how high levels of secu- rity, quality services, sustainability, and a driver-centric approach can be effectively combined under the EU Parking Standard. ■ mowiz TRUCK Astigarraga has received the European Truck Parking of the Year 2023 Award Impressions from Bapaume Truck House (France) Winner of the 2025 ESPORG Award: Recharge City in Denmark. G R O P S E ) 3 ( © Aerial view of Truck Étape Béziers s r e i z é B e p a t E k c u r T © trans-European road network, with an aver- age maximum distance of 150 km between two SSPAs by 31 December 2040. ESPORG as the leading European secure truck parking organization is actively advo- cating for the development of the EU network of safe and secure truck parking areas, to- gether with the EU social partners in road transport representing road hauliers and driv- er representatives. In September 2025, Executive Vice-Presi- dent Roxana Mînzatu visited several truck parking facilities operated by ESPORG mem- bers in Belgium, accompanied by ESPORG and social partners in road transport IRU and ETF. During the visit, she witnessed the significant differences between parkings cer- tified according to the legal EU parking standard and other parking facilities and stressed that safe and secure parking is not only a logistical issue but essential for driv- ers’ dignity, safety, and respect. ESPORG and social partners have jointly called on the European Commission for more secure truck parking facilities, stress- ing their importance for drivers’ wellbeing, road safety, and addressing the driver short- age. A collaborative, multi-stakeholder ap- proach remains essential. This is clearly re- flected in the European Wellbeing Initiative, launched by ESPORG with the support of the European Commission and more than 150 signatories of the Wellbeing Pledge – repre- senting public authorities, social partners, parking operators, road hauliers, shippers, insurers and industry stakeholders to im- prove working and rest conditions for pro- fessional drivers. Can you name three outstanding best practices from different countries? Indeed, we are proud with the excellent ex- amples from recent ESPORG Truck Parking Awards that showcase best practices across Europe: • Bapaume Truck House (France) — Winner of the Excellence in Truck Parking Award 2026. It stands out for its high security standards, quality services, and overall excellence, setting a strong benchmark for certified Safe and Secure Parking Areas. • Truck Etape Béziers (France) — Winner of both the Green Truck Parking Manage- Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 33
EPA NEWS Remembering Peter Martens By Theo Thuis, President of the European Parking A ssociation On 29 September, the European parking community lost a much-valued colleague and friend with the death of Peter Martens. P eter made an enormous contribution to EPA and to the wider parking sector over many years. Those of us who had the privilege of working with him knew him as someone with an exceptional depth of knowledge, a tremendous capacity for hard work and a genuine commitment to moving our sector forward. Peter’s understanding of parking was grounded in a career that had always looked beyond parking itself. His professional roots were in city and transport planning, beginning as a consultant and project manager with DHV in the 1970s, before his work expanded into distri- bution and logistics. In 1997, he joined Q-Park International, where he spent almost 20 years as Director of Business Intelligence. His expertise and commit- ment increasingly benefited the wider parking community too. Peter was involved in a number of EPA committees, initially in the Advisory Council of Directors and later in the Policy &Strategy Com- mittee, where he became Chairman in 2009, a position he held for more than eight years. He saw EPA as a platform through which park- ing professionals could engage with the wider world of urban devel- opment and transport. Peter was among the first to recognise that parking needed to be- come an integral part of the wider mobility system. He worked to translate that vision into concrete proposals for national and local authorities and organisations such as POLIS, anticipating many of the discussions about integrated parking and mobility that continue today. He was equally active within the Dutch parking sector, serving as Vice-Chairman of Vexpan from 2008 until 2017. Retirement in 2017 did not mean stepping away from the sector. Peter continued working on sustainable urban development, smart mobility and parking, exploring subjects ranging from e-charging in- frastructure to the transition of traditional car parks into urban mo- bility and logistics hubs. He also remained involved with the Europe- an Standard Parking Award (ESPA) Review Committee and continued sharing his knowledge through articles for European and national parking publications. Peter Dingemans, EPA Vice-President, remembers the lasting con- tribution Peter made to ESPA: “Over the years, I have built up some particularly good memories of working with Peter. This also includes his time on the Vexpan Board. Whilst Peter was Chair of the EPA Policy & Strategy Committee, I travelled around Europe with him on several occasions for ESPA assessments. His contribution was indispensable, particularly in the development and updating of A P E © Peter Martens 34 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
EPA NEWS A P E © 35 the ESPA certification criteria. Wherever you see an ESPA plaque on the wall, you can be sure Peter played a part in it. His substantive input, expertise and analytical insight have made a real difference, and we will miss his genuine personality.” Peter brought that same thoroughness to his role as Chairman of the Jury for the biennial European Parking Awards. His preparation and execution of the judging process were legendary. On one occa- sion, that meant 13 countries, 14 cities, 15 locations and 16 half-days – all compressed into a single week so that Peter and his fellow jurors could carry out a truly independent assessment. For Peter, physically visiting the nominated projects was always the starting point. There were no shortcuts. That tells you something about Peter. If something was worth do- ing, it was worth doing properly. Nigel Williams, EPA President Emeritus, who worked with Peter at both Q-Park and EPA, recalls: “I always respected Peter for his intelligence, his endless curi- osity and encyclopaedic knowledge of all things parking, his ca- pacity for hard work, and his wry humour. Having worked with him, I know firsthand that his analytical, data-driven approach to parking operations was 20 years ahead of its time. Furthermore, his vision for EPA to build a working relation- ship with POLIS and its members was truly transformational for what was then very much a club of private off-street operators. The parking industry, our association, and all of us personally owe him an immense debt of gratitude.” Laurence Bannerman, former EPA President, worked alongside Peter for many years: “I got to know Peter back in 2006, initially in the Advisory Council of Directors and later in the Policy &Strategy Committee. In 2009, I passed the Chair to Peter, where he was able to express all his amazing potential. We carried on working closely when I moved to the Board, until he left. Peter put the quality touch on all we did – publications, Con- gresses, the Editorial Board, Scientific Committees, the ESPA scheme and much more. Peter was like a ‘school buddy’; we grew together through it all.” For me, and for so many within EPA, Peter will be greatly missed. But the ideas he championed, the standards he set and the contribu- tion he made over so many years remain very much part of our As- sociation and our sector. Our thoughts are with Margot and Peter’s family at this very sad ■ time. Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
BEST PRACTICE The City of Edinburgh is aiming to reduce the number of heavy and high-emission vehicles in the historic city centre. Monit Data Data-Driven Parking Management for Edinburgh Recently Monit Data participated in an EIT Urban Mobility RAPTOR proposal for the City of Edinburgh. RAPTOR is an innovative programme that matches urban mobility challenges with solution providers. The challenge for the City of Edinburgh was to increase the quality of the urban environment by reducing heavy traffic. The proposal envisaged the use of data-driven car park management to address this challenge. T his proposed solution demonstrates the ever-growing importance of data in urban mobility and parking poli- cies. Often public or political pressure can influence these policies, or they can lean too much on experience and perceptions. Whereas data provides a clear objective pic- ture, and how changes in policies affect these. But with a scattered landscape of parking systems, data formats, getting this data has proven to bring its own challenges. This is a challenge Monit Data has taken on. “For over 15 years we have been trans- forming raw unorganised data into clear ac- tionable insights using our unique Parking Monitor platform. We therefore included our solution into the RAPTOR proposal to share our experience and knowledge with the City of Edinburgh,” explains the Dutch data anal- ysis specialist. The RAPTOR Programme The Rapid Applications for Transport (RAP- TOR) programme matches urban mobility challenges in Europe with industry solutions. These solution providers can be start-ups or established small to medium enterprises (SME). The goal of the programme is city- driven, challenge-based, and agile innova- tion. The benefit of this approach is that solu- tions can be fast-tracked in development or improvements and quickly tested in a real-life environment. Thereby helping to drive the transition to sustainable mobility and better urban environments in European cities. The RAPTOR programme is managed by EIT Urban Mobility. This was founded as an initiative of the European Institute of Innova- tion and Technology (EIT), a body of the Eu- 36 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 m o c . k c o t s r e t t u h S / o d a k l A a r d n a S ©
BEST PRACTICE ropean Union, EIT Urban Mobility is the larg- est innovation community for urban mobility in Europe and is committed to accelerating the transition to sustainable mobility. Edinburgh’s Challenge The challenge of the City of Edinburgh in the RAPTOR programme fits these goals of a bet- ter and greener Urban environment. The city is aiming to reduce the number of heavy and high-emission vehicles in the historic city centre. The desired solution to meet these goals was data-driven parking management. Monit Data offers such a solution with its unique Parking Monitor platform. The dense urban environment of the Netherlands has acceler- ated the need for effective parking manage- ment. To help cities and private parking oper- ators with data-driven insights, Monit devel- oped the Parking Monitor, now being used in over 40 cities and processing over 100 million parking transaction annually. The Parking Monitor The Parking Monitor is a cloud-based soft- ware suite that automatically collects and transforms parking data from multiple sourc- es into valuable insights. A single clear dash- board includes reports on all important mo- bility information, such as on- and off-street parking, EV charging and more. Monit prom- ises that local authority users will no longer have to devote resources to the tedious task of manual data entry, but will now be able to focus on using the insights to make data-driv- en decisions regarding their mobility policies, finances and operational processes. In Edinburgh, there were two key require- ments to be met: firstly, it was necessary to determine how many heavy vehicles were actually parked in the city, and secondly, a pricing strategy had to be developed to con- trol the number of such vehicles entering the city centre. Parking Occupancy Monit Data therefore proposed the use of three modules from the ‘Parking Monitor’ solution. Module one enables car park oper- ators to monitor car park occupancy both on- and off-street. As one of the key func- tions these analyses can be presented by street, neighbourhood or multi-storey car park, as well as by time interval – all in one easy to use dashboard. Data is automatically sourced from parking systems and barrier systems from all major suppliers. A relatively recent development is the use of data col- lected by a scan-car travelling around the city for enforcement purposes. Another module, which is currently in the pilot phase, enables a vehicle to be classified on the basis of number plate data. This makes it possible, for example, to determine wheth- er a vehicle is powered by an internal com- bustion engine or is an electric vehicle. For the city of Edinburgh, data on weight, size and emissions was retrieved in order to create a classification for ‘heavy’ vehicles. Data from UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DV- LA) was used as the data source. Monit has experience in this area, as the company al- ready uses data from the RDW (the Dutch equivalent of the DVLA) for its services. Pricing Scenarios With vehicle classification and parking occu- pancy known, the third module gives the option to create a pricing strategy. The pric- ing module of the Parking Monitor allows simulation of different tariff structures, and the effect on occupancy rates and parking revenues. Monit Data proposal received high scores In the evaluation for the City of Edinburgh challenge Monit Data’s proposal received high scores from the RAPTOR programme. The consultancy firm sums up: “First and fore- most we are excited to see that parking data is seen as ever more important for creating bet- ter urban environments. Both in the RAPTOR programme and in European initiatives as Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP). Secondly, we see that the choices of the Dutch parking sector to embrace data, and a centralised data infrastructure, at an early stage provides us with very valuable experi- ence, knowledge, and solutions. At Monit Data we are therefore looking forward to help our fellow European parking operators with better data-driven parking policies and operations.” ■ Example of vehicle classification by Monit for an off-street parking facility occupancy using RDW data. a t a D t i n o M © Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 37
i l s n o i t u o S g n k r a P n n a m h c a B & t d e h c S © i INTRODUCING Promotion Scheidt & Bachmann Parking Solutions Making Parking Easier for Everyone Digital services, connected systems and AI are fundamentally transforming the parking industry. For drivers, this means a more convenient, seamless experience. And this is precisely where the systems that will deliver real value to parking opera- tors in the future set themselves apart: not by adding more features, but by simplifying intelligently. Parking becomes part of a digital ecosystem T he world of mobility is changing rapidly. Processes are be- coming more digital, more connected and increasingly data driven. Parking, too, is evolving from an isolated entry-and- exit process into an integral part of intelligent mobility chains. Li- cense plate recognition, digital payment, mobile apps, online res- ervations, customer portals and interfaces to additional services are opening new possibilities for a modern parking experience. For users, the goal is clear: parking should feel simple, fast and ef- fortless. Ideally, drivers enter, park, pay digitally and leave without switching between tickets, apps or payment methods. The license plate becomes the digital ticket, payment is made through the pre- ferred channel, and the entire process runs almost invisibly in the back- ground. With FreeFlow, drivers can even pay comfortably from home after leaving the car park - conveniently and stress-free from the sofa. While parking is becoming a more positive experience for cus- tomers, operators increasingly benefit from the effortless interac- tion of many components. Today, parking management is no long- er simply about barriers, pay stations and tickets. It also encom- passes payment service providers, mobility platforms, booking and access systems, data sources, service processes, security require- ments and real-time operational decisions. Simplifying Operations Through Consolidation Every new digital function introduces additional interfaces, data points and dependencies. Operators need to keep track of occu- pancy, payments, customer flows, access rights, partner services and service quality. At the same time, expectations for availability, transparency and cost-effectiveness continue to rise. The key ques- tion is therefore no longer simply: Which technology do I need? It is: How can I organize a growing range of services so that they genu- inely improve operations? Modern parking management platforms must do more than simply administer systems. They need to consolidate information, automate workflows, support decision-making and help operators act faster and with greater confidence. After all, digital solutions only deliver their full value when they reduce complexity. 38 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
INTRODUCING entervo infinite: A Platform for the Next Stage of Evolution With entervo infinite, Scheidt & Bachmann Parking Solutions is pursuing exactly this approach. The cloud-native, scalable plat- form is designed to make parking management more flexible, data- driven and easier to control. Real-time data, automated processes, modular expandability and the integration of a wide range of part- ners and services provide the foundation for operations that are not only more digital, but also more efficient. The central idea is simple: effortless operations through a well- structured platform. Useful services are integrated, organized and made easy to use. This enables operators to monitor their facilities centrally, manage processes across multiple locations, flexibly inte- grate new functions and act on a robust data foundation. Many in- dividual system components come together to form one intelligent overall picture. From Chatbot to Intelligent Assistant One example of this evolution is the entervo infinite Agent. Today, it primarily supports operators reactively as a chatbot: answering questions, helping users find information and making processes easier to understand. Even at this stage, it reduces search effort and provides easier access to operational knowledge. But the vision goes much further. In the future, an assistant like this could act proactively: monitoring operating conditions, occu- pancy, disruptions, payment transactions, customer flows and con- nected services. It could bring relevant information together, iden- tify correlations and support operators with recommendations or decisions within clearly defined parameters. In this way, AI becomes not an end, but a practical tool for the everyday work of parking operators. It helps automate routine tasks, identify anomalies more quickly, prepare operational deci- sions more effectively and continuously improve the quality of parking operations. Simplicity as a Strategic Advantage For parking operators, the ability to manage complexity is becom- ing a decisive competitive factor. Those who efficiently bring to- gether digital services, data and partner integrations can not only stabilize operations, but also introduce new offerings more quickly and sustainably increase user satisfaction. The future of parking will be more connected, more data-driven and more intelligent. The most successful solutions will be those that make this evolu- tion simpler—not more complicated—for operators. Our Solution - entervo infinite And Scheidt & Bachmann would not be Scheidt & Bachmann if we did not also prioritize backward compatibility and sustainability throughout the transition. Many of the devices we have installed in recent years can be converted into IoT devices with minimal effort, making them cloud ready. We look forward to shaping the digital future of parking together with our customers! ■ THE information sources for parking professionals • THE parking magazine with an European view • THE trade journal for the German speaking region Parking trend · official organ of the European Parking Association (EPA) · international trade journal · specialist magazine for parking · independent, objectively and technically sound · editorial team of EPA members and technical editors · average of 6.25 readers per copy, 23,000 in total* Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 *Results of a reader survey Media-Kit 39
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS HUB Parking Technology Making Payment Faster in Just One Scan P ayment is one of the final steps of every parking journey, and in some cases, it might become a source of friction. For example, long queues at pay stations, outdated payment processes, and limit- ed flexibility can affect both the driver’s experience and the overall efficiency of parking operations. No App or Account Needed With J4Pay, HUB Parking Technology’s mobile platform payment, drivers can pay for their session with just a smartphone and a QR code. By scanning the code displayed on site signage or printed on their parking ticket, users are directed to a dedicated web page, with no need to download an app or create an account. Once there, they simply confirm their ticket number or license plate, apply a promo- tional code if available, and securely complete the transaction using a credit card or digital wallet such as PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. The platform is designed to adapt to different parking environ- ments and operational needs. At Flemingate Shopping Center in Beverley, UK, a fully cashless car park, J4Pay gives shoppers a scan- to-pay option from a payment signages. Another example is Orelle Cableway Parking, In the French Alps, where J4Pay enables skiers pay for parking while descending from the slopes, simply by scanning a QR code inside the cable car and ■ before they've even reached their vehicle. AVUTEC i g n k r a P B U H © Cloud-to-Camera Whitelist Synchronization P icture a barrier that only opens after checking each recognized license plate against a whitelist managed in the cloud. How can cloud-managed ANPR access still work when the internet goes down? With AVUTEC, each ANPR camera can be configured to store a lo- cal copy of the latest whitelist. The list of authorized license plates is still managed, monitored, and updated via the cloud, but once syn- chronized, the camera doesn’t need to request permission for every vehicle — it already knows which license plates are authorized. C E T U V A © 40 Whitelist management solutions that are fully dependent on the cloud require every license plate to be sent to a separate server be- fore an access decision is made, and sometimes even for the image analysis and plate recognition itself. In such a setup, no internet means the barrier doesn’t open. Edge-Computing Approach AVUTEC uses an edge-computing approach: license plate recogni- tion, whitelist matching, and the decision to open the barrier can all take place on the camera itself, based on the whitelist currently stored on it. The related platform CortexConnect is a management layer built on top of the camera’s intelligence. Its role is to add con- venience for users and keep the local whitelist up to date, not to ap- prove access in real time. Without it, managing access across multi- ple sites would mean handling every camera and every plate indi- vidually. CortexConnect makes this manageable at any scale. Whitelist synchronization pauses when the camera loses its inter- net connection. Any changes made in CortexConnect — adding, re- moving, or changing the validity schedule of a plate — can’t reach the camera until the connection is restored. Meanwhile, recognition events are logged locally, ready to upload to the cloud as soon as the camera is back online. ■ Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
SKIDATA INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS Pay-and-Display Machine for Lean Solutions I magine a small car park in the city centre and receive a digital receipt. Systems that still print receipts can add a printer. Mounted on the Wall According to SKIDATA, one obvious practical advantage is that the skiosk® Lean does not require its own floor space. Mounted on the wall, the payment terminal is located where drivers need it – with no separate base and no additional space required. The skiosk® Lean runs on cloud-based soft- ware, meaning that administrative tasks are centralised in a location that operators can ac- cess from anywhere. A dedicated team sets up the device in the SKIDATA Portal and carries out regular software updates. As the software runs in the cloud, the device connects to the Compact payment terminal: skiosk® Lean local server via a secure internet connection rather than a wired LAN connection. According to SKIDATA, this reduces the local integration effort, and updates can be carried out without the need for on-site visits. ■ A T A D K S © I Payment Debut with Wero in Kassel P aying for parking digitally, securely and pered with. The use of a centralised and ver- satile payment app eliminates the need for registration processes or downloading an additional parking app. early in the morning. A steady flow of com- muters, with almost every driver paying by card or smartphone – and a practical ques- tion for the operator: what sort of payment terminal is actually needed at this exit? SKIDATA has developed the skiosk® Lean as a compact payment terminal for the most common parking scenarios. The process is deliberately kept simple: identify, pay, drive off. By default, drivers identify themselves by entering their number plate; a ticket is not required. In LPR installations, the number plate matches the payment to the correct ve- hicle. If a system prefers tickets, the skiosk® Lean scans them on request. In both cases, drivers pay cashless by card or contactless Hectronic in real time directly from your bank ac- count – without a credit card or the need for additional registration: this is now a reality in Kassel. Kassel is the first German city to integrate the new European payment solu- tion, Wero, into its parking infrastructure. This forward-looking project is being imple- mented by Hectronic, a provider of payment solutions for retail, parking and refuelling. A total of 360 Hectronic parking machines are fitted with the new function. Here’s how paying with Wero works: the Hectronic metres generate a dynamic QR code on the display. Users scan this using their usu- al banking or Wero app and confirm the pay- ment straight away. The amount is debited from their own bank account in real time. Secure and European According to Hectronic, Wero offers tangible benefits: protection against ‘quishing’, as the QR code appears on a display and is gener- ated individually for each payment transac- tion. This rules out fraud involving static QR codes that have been covered up or tam- As a purely European payment solution, Wero also strengthens independence from non-European payment networks and com- plies with the highest data protection stand- ards. According to Hectronic, Wero is also extremely attractive to operators from a fi- nancial perspective compared to traditional credit card providers or other international digital wallets. Decline in Cash Handling Simone Fedderke, Head of Transport for the City of Kassel, is delighted with the new pay- ment option: “It is only natural that parking fees are not particularly popular with many people who want to, or have to, park their cars in the city. I therefore find it all the more important that modern payment options are offered. The European payment system We- ro now addresses the everyday reality of those who already take it for granted that they can pay in shops using their mobile c i n o r t c e H © 360 Hectronic parking machines in Kassel, Germany are fitted with the Wero pay option. phones, smartwatches and the like. Natural- ly, the city also hopes that the wide range of coin-free payment options will gradually re- duce the need for the increasingly expensive management of small change in parking meters.” “This is a digital quantum leap that dem- onstrates how local authorities can operate independently of non-European payment networks whilst offering their citizens genu- ine added value. We provide the secure and future-proof hardware and cloud infrastruc- ture for this,” adds Sascha Schiele, Director of Sales for Parking & Charging Solutions at Hectronic. ■ Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 41
BACK GROUND Interview with Anja Müller, PBW “That’s the Real Art of It” Since August, PBW – Parkraumgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, Corprate Member of EPA – has been managing all the car parks on the Vaihingen campus in the Stuttgart district of the same name. A few days before operations began, we spoke to PBW Managing Director Anja Müller about the unique features of this exceptional project, which comprises around 2,600 parking spaces, and PBW’s strategic reorientation as a mobility service provider. Marko Ruh: The PBW has been very active in recent years. However, the Vaihingen Campus does seem to occupy a promi- nent position amongst its current pro- jects. Is that the case? Anja Müller: That’s correct, if only because it is the largest campus in our portfolio. This encompasses not only higher education in- stitutions but also many other organisations – over 100 institutes, such as Fraunhofer, Max Planck and many more. It is a large- scale research and university campus based on the ‘campus as a city’ concept. Its loca- tion in the state capital, Stuttgart, also gen- erates particular public interest. What are the distinctive features? The introduction of a paid parking scheme for the first time is quite different from sim- ply changing the operator of an existing site and perhaps increasing the rates. Added to this is an important conceptual requirement from all stakeholders, who wish to maintain an open campus in Vaihingen. What challenges does this present? So far, these are the typical displacement mechanisms and misallocations, as we call them. For example, there are local residents who use their own garages for completely different purposes and instead park their cars in the campus car park all day or for several weeks at a time. There are mo- Anja Müller torhomes parked here, and in the summer, travellers heading to the airport leave their cars there for days or even weeks on end. So is this also about the misuse of park- ing spaces? Yes, by user groups who permanently occu- py a parking space and thus block resources that could be put to good use. We want to make these spaces available again through our management scheme. In that respect, Vaihingen Campus The Stuttgart-Vaihingen Research Campus is an area in the Stuttgart-Vaihingen district where large parts of Stuttgart’s research landscape have been concentrated since the 1950s. Home to the University of Stuttgart, the Stuttgart Media University, two Max Planck Institutes, four DLR institutes and six Fraunhofer Institutes, the research campus is probably the largest science campus in Germany. 42 Source: Wikipedia there’s a very positive atmosphere in Vaihin- gen that this is finally happening. Do students from the surrounding area who rely on a car actually have the finan- cial means to pay for parking? We’ve been discussing this issue in depth over the last few months and are weighing up the options. We have special packages for students, such as monthly and termly rates. There are special rates for staff and dis- counts for large customers. From day passes through to weekly and monthly tickets, we’re trying to strike a balance between dif- ferent interests. W B P © So has everything on the Vaihingen cam- pus been free of charge up to now? In principle, there was no charge for parking on campus. Only two underground car parks, which are located more on the outskirts, were taken over by PBW a few years ago. Is the campus a single, cohesive area or is it made up of different sections? It is not a single enclosed area, but compris- es 26 parking zones. The campus has a total area of approximately 100 hectares – equiva- lent to 140 football pitches. We also have traffic moving between the various locations within the campus. This makes it complex, but exciting for us, because we’re familiar with the traditional off-street parking busi- ness. We have areas with barrier systems or number plate recognition, but also on-street parking spaces with parking ticket machines and traditional on-street parking. Finding the right balance – how to allocate capaci- ties and quotas correctly – is a real art form. Technologically speaking, something like this is almost only feasible with number plate recognition, isn’t it? Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
BACK GROUND Project overview • Site covering over 100 hectares • 26 parking areas, comprising both on-street parking spaces and designated parking areas • Approx. 2,600 state-owned parking spaces, plus additional municipal parking spaces on campus • Car parks ranging in size from four to over 500 spaces • A diverse range of user groups W B P © Vaihingen, as they’re much more concen- trated. We can’t disclose any further projects at this stage. So there’s still quite a bit in the pipeline? Yes. We already have 18 universities. Howev- er, our focus is not limited to on-campus car parks. A recent example is the so-called Cy- ber Valley in Tübingen, where the state itself is building multi-storey car parks. In this case, we not only provide consultancy but also manage the properties. I do get the impression that you’re very active – or am I mistaken? Although we are a state-owned company, we run it like a privately managed enterprise. This includes not only state-owned sites but, even now, over ten per cent of third-party portfolios. For example, we recently conclud- ed our first lease agreement with the AIF Capi- tal Group for the ‘Am Feldberg’ car park. This shows that we are also active car park opera- tors in the open market and operate in line with market standards. To be financially sound, a third-party portfolio is also essential. What trends do you currently see? Even though almost everyone is jumping on this bandwagon at the moment, we too see ourselves as a mobility provider. Due to our shareholder structure, we are under even greater pressure to promote alternative modes of transport and intermodality. Con- sequently, our concepts never consist solely of parking. ■ Number plate recognition opens up the pos- sibility of an even more tailored quota and tariff structure. However, this requires inter- nal digitalisation to verify who is a student, staff member, visitor or local resident. If you have that in place and, so to speak, link it to the number plate, then you really are very, very flexible. But it also needs to be monitored… Parking enforcement is particularly impor- tant in areas without barriers. We have staff on site and also use a scan-car, particularly for on-street parking. How has the scan-car performed in your pilot project? Very good; otherwise we wouldn’t be using it now. It does require space for the car to drive around, and a certain number of parking spaces – it isn’t worth it for just 100. How efficient is the scan-car? Where a staff member previously managed 50 checks, the scan-car manages over 1,000 in an hour. Technologically, it’s tried and tested and almost old hat. Abroad, the scan-car has been in use for a long time, of course. Here, it was only made possible by the amended State Mobility Act in Baden-Württemberg. So, for Germany, Baden-Württemberg was a pioneer. In my view, this was long overdue. That’s right. Also because it’s difficult to find staff for this tough job: people have to work outdoors in all weathers and are exposed to confrontations with those who have com- mitted traffic offences. It’s much more com- fortable for our colleagues in a scan-car. Are there any other PBW campus projects currently underway? The KIT – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – is set to join us on 1 October. We’re talking about around 1,600 parking spaces there, but they’ll be located differently to those in Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 43
BACK GROUND ParkingSwiss Car Park Management in a Legal Grey Area – Where the Sector Stands Today Private parking charges on publicly accessible land are coming under increasing criticism – fuelled by increasingly strict case law and political initiatives. For the reputable parking sector, this is a matter of its credibility and its ability to operate in the future. P arking space management is a legiti- mate service: Without monitoring, not everyone adheres to the rules, spaces are blocked, and those who pay cor- rectly are disadvantaged. It is recognised that operators are entitled to penalise in- fringements and to charge for the actual costs incurred. However, this basis comes under strain where individual operators over-extend the scope of these measures and parking policies serve primarily to max- imise revenue. The Legal Framework Under Federal Law The framework is set by the landmark ruling BGE 148 IV 30: an area open to an indefinite group of people is deemed a public road within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act (SVG) – regardless of ownership. The deci- sive factor is actual use. As a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court, this principle applies nationwide. However, the scope is crucial: the case concerned a plot of land owned by a public-law body. It has not been conclusively clarified to what extent civil law instruments – such as a court injunction under Article 258 of the Civil Procedure Code (ZPO) or com- pensation for inconvenience – remain per- missible in addition to this on purely private, publicly accessible areas. The Road Traffic Act (SVG) principle has thus been clarified at national level; the core question of private sanctions, however, remains open and is dealt with inconsistently across the cantons. There is no federal rule that categorically ex- cludes private measures – conversely, how- ever, not everything is permitted. Approach of the Cantonal Courts Several judgements have clarified the scope in cases of such measures, particularly where the court injunction primarily serves commercial purposes. In 2025, the Bern High Court held that a conviction for breaching a court injunction is ruled out if it serves com- mercial interests that go beyond the protec- tion of possession. The injunction is a pro- tective measure, not a debt-collection tool. Anyone who prioritises commercial logic not only risks losing the case but also provides arguments against the business model as a whole. Proportionality of Claims In 2014, the Federal Supreme Court had to assess compensation for administrative costs of 52 Swiss francs in a specific case; in practice, similar orders of magnitude are under discussion. The decisive factor re- mains that the claim must reflect the actual, verifiable expenditure – such as staff costs for enforcing the claim, postage and basic i s s i w S g n k r a P ) s o t o h p l l a ( Johanna Brunneder, Head of Corporate Development at TCS © Marcel Sonderegger, Chief Sales Officer at Digitalparking 44 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
“Centre of Excellence for Best Practice” 1. Automated parking systems using camer- as, without barriers, are increasingly be- Three questions for… Damien Zuber, President of ParkingSwiss ing used in Switzerland. How does ParkingSwiss view this development – and what role does the association play in this area? Automated parking monitoring systems can offer advantages. They can help to improve compliance with parking regulations, increase revenue from parking fees and reduce staffing costs. At the same time, however, their use also presents challenges: high investment costs, complex data protection re- quirements and the need for strict compliance with the provisions of the Road Traffic Act (SVG). The fo- cus must always be on users’ rights, as in practice such systems are frequently misused. ParkingSwiss sees itself as a centre of excellence for best practice in the use of automated parking sys- tems. 2. What should motorists know today about these auto- mated parking systems – and what does Parking- Swiss recommend if someone feels a penalty is unjustified? Publicly accessible car parks – including those on private land – are subject to the provisions of the Road Traffic Act. Parking regu- lations must be laid down by the relevant local or cantonal au- thority and clearly indicated by official signage in accordance with the Signage Ordinance (SSV). In the event of a breach of BACK GROUND parking regulations, fines or penalties may only be imposed by the police or the relevant local or can- tonal authorities. Private companies are not author- ised to collect parking fines or impose penalties in place of the police. Anyone who receives a demand for payment that does not originate from the police or a judicial authority should therefore examine it critically and, if necessary, contest it. Car parks where clearly unauthorised monitoring systems are in use should be avoided. Notably, if pressure is in- creased by debt collection agencies, the claim should be contested and legal assistance sought. 3. How can car park operators and motorists tell wheth- er a provider of such systems is operating legitimate- ly and complying with the applicable regulations? Car park operators should be wary if they are promised free park- ing enforcement. As a rule, the costs are then passed on to users – often in the form of unfair charges. For motorists, the following applies: a properly managed car park has official signage in ac- cordance with the Road Signage Ordinance (SSV), which clearly and comprehensibly sets out the applicable parking conditions – such as whether parking is subject to a charge, the maximum parking duration or permitted times. If such signage is missing, or if payment demands do not originate from the police or a judi- cial authority, these should not be paid but contested. bookkeeping. General operating or monitor- ing costs cannot, as a rule, be passed on to individual incidents. For reputable opera- tors, this is less of a restriction than a mark of quality: those who provide transparent in- voicing stand on solid ground both in court and in the public eye. Access to Data and Political Pressure A landmark ruling by the Aargau Administra- tive Court (January 2025) established that road traffic authorities may also disclose ve- hicle owner data to private car park opera- tors, provided that a sufficient interest is credibly demonstrated. According to a parliamentary motion, well over a thousand requests are received every month in Aargau alone. A motion in the National Council now calls for commer- cial car park management to be exempted from the right to information under the Road Traffic Act (SVG) – on the grounds of adminis- trative burden and data protection. Recommendations for Practice Reputable operators should ensure: correct- ly obtained, clearly signposted signage; pro- portionate claims rather than escalating late payment charges; no use of criminal charges to enforce civil claims; transparency regard- ing tariffs and evidence; and a clear separa- tion between parking management and debt collection procedures. The Role of ParkingSwiss Legal uncertainty primarily harms reputable operators, who are lumped together with those who abuse the system. Binding, pro- portionate regulations safeguard legitimate parking management, curb uncontrolled growth and maintain trust in fair rules. Park- ingSwiss will play an active role in shaping this clarification, set clear industry stand- ards and advocate that management and fairness are not mutually exclusive. ■ Source: ParkingNews 1/26 Legal basis: BGE 148 IV 30 (Federal Supreme Court 6B_384/2020); Federal Supreme Court 6B_192/2014; High Court of the Canton of Bern, judgement of 14 April 2025; Administrative Court of Aargau, decision of 14 January 2025; High Court of the Canton of Zurich. Politics: Motion in the National Council to exempt commercial car park management from the right to information under the Road Traffic Act (SVG). Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 45
INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS o v i r A ) 7 ( © Arivo / Graz Exhibition Centre 1,600 Parking Spaces, Countless Requirements and a Parking System that Thinks for Itself Parken Plus, the operator of the new Graz Exhibition Centre car park, is relying on flexible car park management and intelligent traffic control with Arivo. G raz, 8 June 2026: It is 8.45 am; in a few minutes, the gates to the Rolling Pin Convention at Messe Graz, Aus- tria, will open. Cars are queuing up outside the exhibition centre car park. The barriers open and close every few seconds. Within a short space of time, thousands of people are streaming onto the site, yet the flow of traffic remains remarkably smooth. What seems like business as usual for visitors is the result of a parking system specifically developed for such high-traffic situations. When Everyday Life Turns into a Hive of Activity Where there used to be an old underground car park and a gravel car park, one of Aus- tria’s most modern car park facilities has been built over the past few months. The new Graz Exhibition Centre car park com- bines around 1,600 parking spaces across three levels, whilst meeting a wide range of requirements. On ordinary days, the car park is used by short-stay parkers, hotel guests and long-term parkers, such as commuters and local residents. On event days, two lev- els are transformed into visitor parking areas within a matter of hours. It is precisely this combination that makes the site unique and presented the operator, Parken Plus, with the challenge of finding a parking system that combines all usage scenarios into a sin- gle solution. “The particular challenge lay in the fact that very different user groups and usage scenarios come together here. Long-term parkers, hotel guests, commuters and trade fair visitors all use the same car park. At the same time, we had to ensure that we could guarantee a smooth flow of traffic even dur- ing major events,” explains Wolfgang Reichl, Managing Director of Parken Plus. One System for Many Needs A distinctive feature of the exhibition centre car park is its reversible lane: the lane can be used as either an entrance or an exit as re- quired and has been fitted with the appropri- ate hardware for both directions of travel. You can see exactly how this works as soon as you enter: the LED displays show at a glance which lane is currently available. The number plate is automatically recognised and the bar- rier opens without the need to take a ticket. On event days in particular, the display panels provide real-time guidance and intuitively di- rect visitors into and out of the car park. 46 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026
INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS up to twice a day – traditional signage was not sufficient. “Visitors need to understand at a glance what is happening. The LED walls are exactly the kind of innovation we’re proud of. They weren’t conceived on the drawing board, but arose from a very specif- ic problem here in Graz,” says Wieser. In fu- ture, this solution will become an integral part of the Arivo portfolio and will therefore be available to all customers as an option. According to Arivo, the Graz Exhibition Centre car park demonstrates that modern car park management goes far beyond sim- ply opening a barrier. It combines high utili- sation rates, varying usage concepts and complex traffic flows within a single system. This gives operators the flexibility to target different user groups specifically, tailor park- ing offers to meet demand and make the most of their parking spaces’ potential. This not only enables complex requirements to be met, but also improves utilisation and cost-effectiveness in the long term. For park- ers, one thing remains clear above all else: a car park that works. Whether on a quiet weekday or just before the doors open for a major event. ■ Self-service payment terminal for cashless payments Changing functions and user groups: the LED walls emerged from the project as an innovation and guide the respective users in the right direction. The solution also offers a high degree of flex- ibility for long-term parkers. Instead of a sin- gle standard contract, a range of long-term parking models are available – from tradi- tional contracts and flexible options to mod- els specifically tailored to businesses and hotels. Parken Plus can combine these indi- vidually to cater to different target groups. The payment options are equally diverse. Parkers can choose between paying by cash, cashless methods, online payment, via Easy- Park or direct debit (upon registration). When the Car Park Becomes a Traffic Hub Once the event has ended, the real test be- gins. Within a matter of minutes, thousands of visitors set off for their cars at the same time. The reversible lane becomes an addi- tional exit, the LED screens adjust their dis- plays, and the link to the City of Graz’s traffic light control system ensures longer green phases. This allows the car park to be cleared within a short time without traffic backing up onto the surrounding streets. This is cru- cial precisely because of the central location of the exhibition centre car park on one of Graz’s most important transport arteries: if vehicles were not processed swiftly, the traf- fic build-up could quickly affect city traffic. The processing times of various systems were already compared as part of the envi- ronmental impact assessment. According to the provider, Arivo’s ticketless solution stood out with the shortest processing times and met the requirements for a smooth flow of traffic even at peak times. “Arivo prevailed over all its well-known competitors because it was the only company able to meet all the requirements of our project. Particularly when it comes to complex usage scenarios, Arivo is a step ahead of other solutions and, from a technological perspective, is the clear market leader for us,” emphasises Reichl. For Dominik Wieser, founder and manag- ing director of Arivo, this is precisely where the project’s real strength lies: “A parking system that only works on quiet days is of no use at an exhibition venue. The real test comes when thousands of people want to drive in or out at the same time. This is ex- actly where our system shows its strength.” From Requirements to a New Product The requirements of the Graz Exhibition Cen- tre car park provided the impetus for a new development at Arivo. Because entry and exit points change depending on the event – in some cases, an area changes its function Entrance with large information screen Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 47
INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS APCOA Italia Two New Car Parks at Two Major Tourist Destinations A PCOA Italia continues its growth tra- jectory with the launch of operations at two new strategic car parks: Par- cheggio Lungolago in Desenzano del Garda, and Parcheggio Riviera in the municipality of Santa Margherita Ligure. The two car parks were previously managed directly by the concessionaire G7 S.r.l., with whom APCOA is establishing a partnership aimed at develop- ing innovative solutions for mobility and car park management. The addition of these new facilities represents a significant expan- sion of the APCOA network in two locations of great tourist value, where the Group had not yet established a presence. The Parcheggio Lungolago has 409 park- ing spaces, spread across two underground levels and two multi-storey levels. The car park serves one of Lake Garda’s main tourist hubs, which attracts large numbers of visi- tors throughout the year. The Riviera Car Park comprises 252 park- ing spaces within the multi-storey car park, in addition to 50 on-street parking spaces located in Piazza Martiri della Libertà and Corso Marconi. The car park represents a strategic piece of infrastructure for mobility in one of the most renowned resorts on the Ligurian Riviera. Technological Service Upgrades With the start of the new management, AP- COA Italia will launch a plan for technologi- cal investment and service upgrades, aimed at improving the user experience and the ef- ficiency of car park management. Over the coming months, the main electronic pay- ment systems will be activated and signage will be progressively updated, with the aim of making parking even simpler and more convenient. Furthermore in the on-street car parks at the seafront area of Santa Margher- ita Ligure, it is possible to pay for parking not only via parking meters but also through the APCOA Flow app. Andrea Grassi, Managing Director of AP- COA Italia: “We are entering two towns of ex- traordinary importance to tourism for the first time, further expanding our presence across the country and bringing our exper- tise in car park management to high-value locations.” New Car Park ‘Karol Wojtyla’ A new car park with 611 spaces was inaugu- rated at ‘Karol Wojtyla’ Airport to meet the ever-increasing demand generated by rising air traffic. The new facility in Bari, southern Italy spread over two levels, comprises 312 covered parking spaces on the ground floor and 299 on the first floor. Each space meas- ures the standard 5 x 2.5 metres, with ample space designed to ensure ease of access and manoeuvring for users. “The opening of this new car park is a further step in the measures we are imple- The car park ‘Parcheggio Lungolago in Desenzano del Garda’ menting to support the growth in passenger traffic and the demand for more efficient airport services”, said the Chairman of Aero- porti di Puglia, Antonio Maria Vasile. Management of the new infrastructure has been entrusted to APCOA. The modern and functional structure is based on a sys- tem of load-bearing steel beams, which is entirely modular and can be dismantled: a design solution that, as well as ensuring rapid construction, will allow for future ex- tensions in line with changes in demand and the airport’s development. APCOA’s Chief Executive, Andrea Grassi said: “We are talking about a facility with more than 600 new low-cost parking spaces, which will bring the total number of low-cost parking spaces to around 1,000. These fig- ures represent more than a third of all the car spaces at the airport dedicated to low- cost passengers.” The construction of the new car park forms part of the wider infrastructure devel- opment programme promoted by Aeroporti di Puglia, aimed at supporting traffic growth through investments focused on the quality of the passenger experience, operational ef- ■ ficiency and sustainability. Modular in design and demountable: The new multi-storey car park with 611 parking spaces at ‘Karol Wojtyla’ Airport. 48 Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 a i l a t I A O C P A ) 3 ( ©
Fastned / Places for London INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS First Ultra-Rapid EV Hub near Heathrow Airport A Fastned and Places for London partner- suring a safe, easy and enjoyable experience for all users. ship has officially opened its first ultra- rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging hub at Hatton Cross Underground station in June 2026. Both called it a “major milestone for London’s green transport infrastructure”. The new EV hub, part of work to deliver on the Mayor’s manifesto target of up to 40,000 charge points in London by 2030, is the first of 25 planned to be delivered across London by the partnership, has been designed with accessibility and comfort in mind. It includes extra-wide bays and two fully accessible charging spaces in line with the latest British Standards Institution guidance, alongside weather protection provided by Fastned’s Open 24/7 and powered entirely by renew- able energy, the hub features 12 ultra-rapid (400kW) charging bays, capable of delivering up to 100 miles (around 160 kilometres) of range in just five minutes. It is strategically lo- cated within easy access to Heathrow Airport, the M25, M4 and A30, making it a convenient stop for airport commuters, residents, taxi and private hire drivers, and business fleets. “Hatton Cross is a landmark moment for our joint venture with Places for London, and a major step in powering up the capital where it matters most”, says Tom Hurst, Fastned UK ■ Country Director. d e n t s a F © Opening of the new charging hub signature yellow solar canopies. The hub al- so has CCTV coverage throughout the site and 24/7 multilingual customer support, en- With a combination of solutions from FAAC Access and HUB Parking Technology: Apex Parking operates the Blackfriars car park in Ipswich. FAAC Access / HUB Parking Technology solutions ) 3 ( © i g n k r a P B U H Modernizing the Heart of Ipswich H UB Parking in Great Britain shared a park- ing management case study in Suffolk, England. Tucked into the heart of Ipswich, the Blackfriars multi-storey car park has quietly become an essential gateway to the town cen- tre, welcoming commuters, residents and visi- tors into a neighbourhood shaped by inde- pendent shops, well-regarded restaurants and, just a short walk away, the redeveloped waterfront with its marina and cafes. With over 500 spaces, Blackfriars plays a key role in supporting local footfall, and Ip- swich Borough Council worked alongside lo- cal stakeholders to keep the town centre ac- cessible and attractive. To modernize opera- tions, the Council turned to Apex Parking, a UK-based car park operator specializing in the management and commercial optimiza- tion of parking assets across retail and urban environments. HUB Parking delivered a hybrid Jupiter parking solution running on the JMS Manage- ment System, combining LPR technology, flexible payment options and integration with FAAC access control. Customers enter through two lanes equipped with Magnetic Parking Pro barriers, where license plates are cap- tured automatically. Payment can then be completed at one of two cashless pay stations or directly at exit. Convenience extends be- yond the barriers: covered footbridges con- nect directly to Blackfriars Retail Park and the waterfront, and information boards keep visi- tors updated on local events, bus timetables and nearby restaurants. Cloud-Based Management System At the core of the solution, JMS gives Apex Parking a centralized, cloud-enabled man- agement system with real-time transactions, occupancy and system status, enabling more efficient daily operations. Advanced reporting also allows the operators to evalu- ate pricing strategies and run targeted cam- paigns. ■ Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 49
PRO SPECTS 3–5 November 2026 | Barcelona | Mobility Solutions, Real Impact Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress 2026 T omorrow.Mobility World Congress re- turns to Barcelona from 3 to 5 Novem- ber 2026, bringing together city representa- tives, policymakers, transport operators and mobility innovators to explore the future of urban transport. Held alongside Smart City Expo World Congress, the event will focus on practical solutions for making mobility more sustain- able, efficient and accessible. Parking and Urban Mobility For the parking sector, Tomorrow.Mobility offers an opportunity to explore develop- ments in intelligent parking, kerbside man- agement, electromobility, shared mobility and connected transport systems. The European Parking Association (EPA) will contribute to the conference programme on 4 November. EPA Executive Director Tom Antonissen is scheduled to join the plenary session “Seamless Multimodality & Parking”, while a dedicated EPA session, “From Park- ing to Mobility: Five Priorities for Smarter European Cities”, will explore the priorities of the EPA Manifesto and their contribution to smarter, more sustainable European ■ cities. C W M T © For more information and registration: EPA members can obtain free and/or discounted passes from the EPA Secretariat, contact epa@europeanparking.eu www.smartcityexpo.com www.tomorrowmobility.com Every step of parking. One platform. Parksphere is the parking platform from Giant Leap Technologies. For 25 years we have built software that helps operators and municipalities digitalise their parking, from the first permit to the last appeal. 160+ 10 25 PERMIT DigitalPermit Digital permits online or by app 50 PARK AutoPark Ticketless camera-based parking CONTROL PocketControl On/off-street mobile enforcement RESOLVE PEZ Admin Appeal management and back office Book a demo parksphere.net Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 customerscountriesyears in parkingparking@giantleap.noGiant Leap Technologies · part of Visma
Calendar: International Parking Events 2026 22 October 2026 Parkon Conference Belgrade, Serbia 2027 24 November 2026 Competence Forum “Parken” 2026 Würzburg, Germany 16–17 June 2027 Parken Trade Fair RheinMain CongressCenter Wiesbaden, Germany https://www.parkon.rs/en/ www.parken.de www.parken-messe.de 29 October 2026 24–26 November 2026 21–23 September 2027 Nationaal Parkeercongres Utrecht, The Netherlands Parkopolis Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris, France 22nd European Parking Conference & Exhibition The EGG, Brussels, Belgium https://vexpan.nl/evenementen/ https://www.fnms.fr/parkopolis/ www.epaconference.eu/ nationaal-parkeercongres/ 3–5 November 2026 24–26 November 2026 Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress Fira Barcelona – Gran Via Barcelona, Spain 21st SPA Conference Štrbské Pleso, High Tatras, Slovakia www.tomorrowmobility.com www.spa-parking.sk/oznamy/ pozvanka-na-21--konferenciu-spa.html PRO SPECTS Imprint Parking trend international is published by Maenken Kommunikation GmbH, Cologne/Germany, in cooperation with European Parking Association aisbl Rue d’Arlon 25, 1050 Brussels www.europeanparking.eu Publishing House (responsible for editorial, adver- tising, production and circulation) Maenken Kommunikation GmbH Von-der-Wettern-Straße 25 51149 Cologne/Germany www.maenken.com Phone +49 22 03 35 84-0 Frequency: 4 x per year Circulation: 4,100 copies Unit price: see cover, plus forwarding expenses Publisher Dr. Wieland Mänken Editorial Team Marko Ruh (Chief Editor) pti@maenken.com Tom Antonissen (EPA Executive Director) Joanne Sutcliffe (Communications Manager) Vasiliki Orfanaki (Operations Manager) Pauline Caublot (Digitalisation & Data Manager) epa@europeanparking.eu Advertising Team sales@maenken.com Phone: +49 2203 9833 102 Print Shop Häuser Druck GmbH Venloer Str. 1271, 50829 Köln Parking trend international | no. 3-2026 51