'Smart' Loading Zones Prove Popular Across Belfast

A 'Smart Belfast' pilot project at two of the city's busiest hospitals is proving popular with drivers.

Belfast City Council introduced the smart loading zone scheme in a bid to tackle urban transport delivery and parking challenges through the use of the PARKUNLOAD app.

The parking button enables drivers to easily 'check in' to smart loading zones and electric vehicle (EV) charge points.

This helps manage the zones and other restricted parking spaces, using IoT (Internet of Things) devices and mobile applications.

Currently piloted at the Musgrave Park and City Hospital sites, the scheme has been welcomed by estate management, car park users and delivery drivers.

Using the app to identify parking slots and pre book space is improving how available parking spaces are used, making deliveries more efficient and helping to prevent congestion. The average parking time at the EV spaces has been significantly reduced to just two hours, making it more freely available to other EV drivers.

Alderman Brian Kingston, Chair of the council's Strategic and Policy Resources Committee paid a visit to the trial site at Musgrave Park Hospital.

He said: "Like cities across the globe, Belfast is beginning to experience an increase in traffic and congestion as online shopping becomes more popular. We need to balance the needs of businesses and our residents while, at the same time, look after our environment.

"The wealth of innovation and lessons gained from this pilot present real opportunities to reduce congestion, improve air quality and make city centre deliveries safer. We're delighted the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is working with us on this pilot and it's great that users of EV spaces and loading bays are taking part in the trial to create innovative solutions that can improve city life."

PARKUNLOAD's CEO Carles Sentís added: "We're delighted to be taking forward this co-innovation with Belfast City Council and in collaboration with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. This project has been great as it has helped us develop and showcase a smart parking button interface to make parking easier for drivers. The drivers of the Trust's goods vehicle fleet are among the first in the world to trial this feature."