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Sat 20 Aug, 2005 08:47 am
Cell-ution to parking problem's a call away
By Donna Goodison
Saturday, August 20, 2005 - Updated: 08:48 AM EST
It could answer Boston's pesky parking meter woes.
Instead of fishing for a quarter to feed the meter - or jamming it - dial your cell phone.
Representatives of a Finnish company were in the Boston area this week pitching its cashless cell-phone parking technology, first introduced in high-tech Nordic countries in 2001.
Nextpark Corp.'s system - billed as fraud- and vandal-proof - eliminates the need for parking meters or ticketing machines altogether.
After finding a parking space, drivers with a Nextpark account use their cell phone or other wireless device to dial the Nextpark service number. They select the corresponding parking spot and how long they expect to park.
When their time is about to run out, Nextpark makes a call or sends a text message to their cell phones. Drivers can then opt to extend the time by phone - no need to dash out of a business meeting to put more quarters in the meter.
Drivers make another phone call when they leave the space and are billed only for time used. Charges can be billed to a prepaid Nextpark account or credit card.
Parking enforcement officers are equipped with a mobile phone or special hand-held device that can download data to monitor against scofflaws.
Nextpark, which takes a portion of the parking fees, says its system cuts down on operational and maintenance costs.
The company even comes with some Kennedy cachet. Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, youngest son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, is chairman of its board of directors.
Neither Kennedy nor Nextpark officials could be reached for comment yesterday.
Nextpark has yet to approach Boston's Transportation Department, spokeswoman Tracey Ganiatsos said. It was recently reported that more than 25 percent of the city's 7,000 parking meters are out of service on a given day.
``We haven't researched anything formally, but we are aware of similar products on the market,'' Ganiatsos said.
What happens if you don't have a cell phone? No other way to park?
Find a working meter and put in a quarter.
If you forget, I think the charge can be researched back to that parking space - you'd only be billed until the time when someone else called in for that same spot.
Ah, but what if the spot remained empty for awhile.............Yeah, but I suppose that doesn't happen.
If you park at a broken meter in Boston without this system you're virtually certain to get a parking ticket. Since there are approximately 7,00 non working meters, it opens these up for use. Since you would park in a parking garage for long term use the street meters would be used for a run in run out visit. Knowing you parked at a broken meter automatically you would check for a ticket. If no ticket you should be reminded of the reason hence the phone call should jump to the forefront of your mind.
Let's assume even this doesn't cause you to make the call. This being Boston as soon as you exit the parking spot another car should enter it. Since the meter doesn't work he or she will get a ticket which proves your car did not occupy that spot at that time. The other possibility is that the owner of the next car would use a cell phone providing proof that the space was not occupied by you at that time.
Oops! That was 7,000 non working meters. As I have no secretary to type this communication for me of necessity I must chastise myself. Consider it done.
Phoenix32890 wrote:Ah, but what if the spot remained empty for awhile...
Well, that'll teach ya, won't it!
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