A while ago I heard Doncaster Westfield (Shoppingtown) was to go ticketless for parking. That is, number plate scanning would be used to record the time of entry and exit from the centre. To pay for parking you need to enter your number plate into a vending machine.
My main concern with the approach is security. What controls are in place for anyone to check anyone else's number plate. Has a family member or friend arrived? You can extend this to realise the approach can be used by some in our society for nefarious purposes.
A couple of years ago Doncaster Westfield introduced the ability to locate your car by entering your number plate. It was very obvious this service, whilst handy, was a security risk and only lasted a matter of days.
I've not yet tested the system so I'll reserve judgement. However the ability for anyone to enter anyone else's number and determine if the car is there, and how long it has been there, to me is a security concern.
The following article on the News site indicates that some people are being overcharged and queues have formed at the parking machines. The overcharging may simply be because people don't understand the terms and conditions, based on the information in the article.
http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/quicker-and-easier-ticketless-parking-system-causes-traffic-jams-at-westfield-doncaster/news-story/eb06b0d2bcddbba20f649498d51e38e0
Given there's a large number of people leaving at the same time when movies end, I wonder how the queues compared with the prior ticket system. Due to the parking limit time (an additional hour available for movie goers) at Doncaster Westfield (try seeing a long movie) and you'll easily get charged. To me there's better places to watch movies where parking's not an issue, but of course, you do have to drive further.
What was also interesting from the article was the need to leave the centre for two hours before you return, before you can again get another free 3 hour parking. Sometimes I've had to visit Doncaster Westfiled twice in the one day and I've been concerned as I knew they were monitoring car number plates. There's 3 hour free parking, but I thought that was once per day. (This however was using the ticket system whereas now time is tracked to the car and not the ticket.) At least we now know it can be more than once per day, but make sure there's a two hour break. Do keep a link to the article however as that statement is contrary to what is written on the Westfield Doncaster site. The site states "Westfield Docnaster offers 3 hours free parking, once per day".
It's not good to see they've already got problems with queues forming. The Christmas period will most likely get much, much worse.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au
My main concern with the approach is security. What controls are in place for anyone to check anyone else's number plate. Has a family member or friend arrived? You can extend this to realise the approach can be used by some in our society for nefarious purposes.
A couple of years ago Doncaster Westfield introduced the ability to locate your car by entering your number plate. It was very obvious this service, whilst handy, was a security risk and only lasted a matter of days.
I've not yet tested the system so I'll reserve judgement. However the ability for anyone to enter anyone else's number and determine if the car is there, and how long it has been there, to me is a security concern.
The following article on the News site indicates that some people are being overcharged and queues have formed at the parking machines. The overcharging may simply be because people don't understand the terms and conditions, based on the information in the article.
http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/quicker-and-easier-ticketless-parking-system-causes-traffic-jams-at-westfield-doncaster/news-story/eb06b0d2bcddbba20f649498d51e38e0
Given there's a large number of people leaving at the same time when movies end, I wonder how the queues compared with the prior ticket system. Due to the parking limit time (an additional hour available for movie goers) at Doncaster Westfield (try seeing a long movie) and you'll easily get charged. To me there's better places to watch movies where parking's not an issue, but of course, you do have to drive further.
What was also interesting from the article was the need to leave the centre for two hours before you return, before you can again get another free 3 hour parking. Sometimes I've had to visit Doncaster Westfiled twice in the one day and I've been concerned as I knew they were monitoring car number plates. There's 3 hour free parking, but I thought that was once per day. (This however was using the ticket system whereas now time is tracked to the car and not the ticket.) At least we now know it can be more than once per day, but make sure there's a two hour break. Do keep a link to the article however as that statement is contrary to what is written on the Westfield Doncaster site. The site states "Westfield Docnaster offers 3 hours free parking, once per day".
It's not good to see they've already got problems with queues forming. The Christmas period will most likely get much, much worse.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au
