Owning and managing a car park is a bit more challenging than one would thing. It’s difficult to notice if everything is running nice and smoothly and any problem is, by contrary, really easy to spot. One of the best solutions out there is installing car parking barriers (automatic is the best type) as it’s going to solve most of the problems with a car park, smoothing out the traffic. Not only that the speed and efficiency of the car is going to get better, but as a car park own you’re also going to appreciate the decrease of the costs for maintaining the system nice and running.
What is the main purpose for car parking barriers?
Car park barriers are probably the most popular way to manage traffic flow and parking in sensitive area or really busy areas. The diversity of car park barrier systems is really generous and it’s capable to cover all sorts of applications, from private to commercial and public carparks.
The main purpose for the car parking barriers is to control the traffic flow in and out of a car park. Your customers are going to find parking spaces easier and faster and they’re not going to spend time trying to find a parking spot. A satisfied customer is always going to come back which is a good news for any car park owner.
The car parking barriers are not made for security reasons but have manage to increase their versatility and functionality over the years. When you’re looking to increase the level security of an establishment, some sliding steel gates or automatic rising bollards are going to work better as they’re made for taking a specific amount of level impact.
What are the benefits of automatic car park barriers?
Even if the main benefit of car park barriers is the control of flow, there are many other good things related to the installation of car park barriers. Scroll down for our list:
- Lower costs
Once you install car park barriers, you’re going to spend a lot less as you’re not going to have to employ that many people anymore for running the car park. Even if you’re still going to need staff for occasional situations, you’re not going to need to supervise the new system 24/7 as it’s going to run by itself. In addition, you’re going to obtain detailed accounting information at the end of each day.
- It’s easier and faster for your customers
Most customers using car parks complain about spending too much time entering, exiting and finding the right parking space. Installing entirely automated car park systems is one way to eliminate this sort of problems. Adding more features (an external board that informs the customers about the available parking spaces) is going to reduce the risk for the slow-moving problems to develop.
You may step up your game and install a system of lights with sensors over every parking bay. the sensors are going to identify the presence of a car in the area below, displaying a green light if that space is empty. A driver is going to notice right away where is the free parking space, which can only mean one thing: faster flow of traffic.
- It improves the business altogether
It’s quite common for the car parks to have some regular customers and it’s typically the workers from a business area or the local residents that use them the most. A car park barrier system is going to offer them the possibility to get a pre-paid card, eliminating the risk for queuing at the ticket barriers. The happier a customer is, the higher the chances for him/her to come back to your car park, especially if he/she paid in advance.
Long story short, the car park barriers are going to save you money on the long run and ensure a better flow of customers in and out of the car park. Having said that, it only makes sense that the very next thing to do is to install car park barriers (automated, if possible).
What types of automatic car park barriers could you use?
You know you installed an effective car park barrier system if it’s capable to control and regulate the cars entering and leaving your car park. Using automatic barriers both on entry and exit seems like the ideal choice for most car parks out there.
- Entry barriers
Entry barriers are going to need to accommodate the width of the lanes in the car park and the height altogether. In the case of a multi-stores car parks, a low roof means that the barrier has to be wide enough to get over the width of the lane but not too large (as it may not be able to rise vertically).
The hinged/folded arm across the lane is one option to consider when the ceiling height is narrowing your options.
You may very well look for automatic barriers that come in a great variety of arm-lengths that match most sizes of lanes. The models with arms that fold out of the way are really popular as they’re easy to install in most car parks.
- Exit barriers
The exit barriers present a similar build to the entry barriers and they’re easy to use and long lasting, serving the most used areas. In order to increase the safety, many come with LED lights and stripes underneath so that they’re easy to see when in use. A security camera and remote control may come in the extra features as well.
What features count on the car park barriers?
Installing automated car park barriers is going to ease out the ticketing. They’re able to manage all the transactions for the business owner. The pay and display car park barriers are winning more fans as we speak, but you can still find the models where the customer has to pick up the ticket on entry and pay when he gets back to the car.
Some car park barriers are capable to read any sort of barcode or RFID ticket. They come with a touchscreen so the operation is a breeze. The ticketing is not only easier, but it’s also automated, dependable and sturdy, eliminating the need for looking another type of ticketing. They bring easy use for both the customer and the owner and lower the risk for queues while waiting to pay the ticket.
Here are some features to add on the car park barriers:
- Possibility to lock the programming in order to reduce the risk for tampering
- Motor control by encoder for obstacles identification and position managements
- Fast versions that open in 2.7 or 3 seconds
- Possibility to install 2 opposite barriers using just one control panel
- Soft start/stop for many models
One last thing
Car parking barriers are a great way to help your customer pay faster and easier and to manage your income a lot easier. As a matter of fact, the benefits go all beyond this so the only thing you need to do know is get in touch with a professional.