16 minute read
Highlights 2020-2021
Despite the pandemic, Interparking has continued its drive to bolster our offer while accelerating activities to support our digitalisation ambitions. At the same time, we have made numerous efforts to reduce the impact of our activities on the environment.
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Belgium: 635 additional spaces in Bruges
The extension of the 't Zand car park in Bruges welcomed its first visitors in April 2022. Located under the Concertgebouw and 't Zand square, close to the Albert I Park, this car park already offered more than 1,300 spaces for cars and 160 for bicycles. The extension now offers 635 additional spaces on three underground levels. It is part of a vast urban redevelopment project by the city of Bruges to encourage parking near peripheral areas to relieve congestion in the city centre.
Belgium: new car parks in Brussels
A new addition to the Interparking family in Brussels, the Brabant-Gare du Nord car park opened its doors in June 2021. It offers 156 spaces spread over five underground levels and is distinguished by the use of very few structural columns to optimise the available space. A few months later, a new car park opened on the Erasmus Hospital campus. The Bordet car park, as it is called, is located near the metro station, has a direct connection to the city centre, and is close to a new business park. This car park meets the strict criteria for ESPA Gold certification and has six floors to accommodate 866 cars, 25 motorbikes and 79 bicycles.
Belgium: remote car park management
In December 2020, Interparking took over the digital remote management of 29 car parks in Antwerp in cooperation with the city's mobility service. Some are small units (mainly for bicycles) and are integrated into residential buildings. Others are car parks for motorbikes and cars. There are also two public car parks with barriers (P+R Olympiade and Zuiderterras) and one without barriers (Rijnkaai). We also won a contract for the remote management of around 100 station car parks for the SNCB/NMBS.
Belgium: a car park in the diamond district
Other car parks that have been built include the Vesting, a two-storey underground and eight-storey above-ground car park in the centre of Antwerp. A particular highlight is the historic façade of the old garage which has been preserved and integrated into the new structure. In addition to a particularly lavish design, the car park also has a VIP area with a manual car wash and valet parking.
The Netherlands: acquisition of the Lijnbaan car park
After leasing the Lijbaan car park in Rotterdam for more than 50 years, Interparking had the opportunity to purchase it at the beginning of 2021. With a capacity of 540 spaces, two spaces for PRMs and 22 charging points for electric vehicles, this building is in the heart of the port city, close to the Lijnbaan and Karel Doormanstraat shopping streets and the Forum shopping centre.
Since its acquisition, the car park has undergone a series of renovations to provide a better user experience including enlarged parking spaces, new signage, and new lighting.
The Pcard+, elected product of the year 2021
Interparking was delighted to be awarded Product of the Year for its Pcard+ offering following a survey by the independent firm Nielsen of some 10,000 randomly selected consumers, as well as more than 5,000 of its regular users. This sector-based award, using four criteria: attractiveness, innovation, purchase intention and
satisfaction gave Pcard+ a remarkable rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. The license plate recognition feature linked to the Pcard+ account and the quality of the customer service were particularly appreciated by those surveyed.
Italy: Mestre car park in Venice refurbished
In Venice, the Mestre outdoor car park has just undergone a major makeover; the installation of an underground cistern to collect rainwater and redistribute it to the city's factories. We took advantage of this work to refresh both the tarmac and the signage of the car park. Situated opposite the railway station in Venice, the Mestre Interparking
is in a prime location for commuters who only have to cross the pedestrian walkway to reach the station platforms. The car park is also equipped with the Telepass system to improve the driver experience by removing the need to go to pay stations.
The Netherlands: management of the Megastores car park in The Hague
In The Hague, Interparking has been operating the car park of the city's largest shopping centre, MegaStores, since 1 April 2021. Located at the city's gates, this complex brings together nearly 40 retailers under one roof and is expected to expand in the near future. Its car park, partly underground, has 1,800 spaces making it one of the largest in The Hague.
The Netherlands: the Interparking Parking School is launched
Already established in other countries, the Parking School (read more on page 49) was also successfully launched in the Netherlands last year. This training and e-learning centre allows staff members to be trained virtually on a wide range of topics including the maintenance of our car parks, the management of entry and exit bollards, and our products and services.
The Netherlands: management of the 10 car parks at Eindhoven Airport
In Eindhoven, Interparking won the tender for the management of the airport car parks; this covers the 10 car parks around the country's second largest airport which handles 6.7 million passengers a year. In all, there are 5,800 parking spaces for passengers and staff and also a ‘kiss and ride’ (drop-off) area. In some of these car parks, customers
can reserve their space in advance; dedicated spaces for people with reduced mobility and electric vehicles are also available.
The Netherlands: contactless parking in Scheveningen
The Covid-19 health crisis has necessitated rapid adaptation to try to combat the spread of the virus Interparking has tested an innovative contactless parking concept… A customer enters the car park and simply passes his or her hand in front of the entrance gate; a sensor then triggers the printing of a ticket
- a fully contactless process. Payments and exiting the car park are also contactless. The Boulevard car park in Scheveningen was the first in the Group to be equipped with this technology; others followed such as the P1 Front car park at Brussels Airport.
Italy: from the south to the north of the peninsula
The new car park for the Sant'Elia Hospital in Caltanissetta, Sicily, opened on 7 August 2020. Featuring an elevated walkway leading directly to the hospital structure, it offers a capacity of nearly 300 cars on three levels and 310 spaces reserved for medical staff in two outdoor car parks.
The car park is managed by the company of the same name. Under the coordination and control of Interparking, the Caltanissetta Hospital Parking joins the list of hospital car parks managed by Interparking Italia (Gemeli Polyclinic in Rome and the Pope John XXIII Hospital in Bergamo).
In this Lombardy city, Interparking acquired the Bergamo Triangolo Parking in October 2020.
With seven levels, three of which are underground, and 500 spaces, it is located a few minutes' walk from the historic centre, where there are more and more pedestrian areas.
Poland: at the foot of the Wawel Royal Castle
This underground car park in the Centre of Krakow has 600 parking spaces available 24 hours a day and is a safe and convenient starting point for visiting the city. It is located in the historical centre, close to the city’s most popular tourist attraction, Wawel Castle, which - until the end of the 17th century - was the residence of Polish monarchs.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the castle has become a museum displaying weapons, tapestries and unique pieces from the national art collection.
Germany: three car parks near the Schweriner Schloss
In September 2020, Contipark (our commercial brand in Germany and Austria) took over three car parks in Schwerin, the capital of MecklenburgWestern Pomerania. The first is in Grunthastrasse, near the railway station. The second one, the Klosterstrasse car park, offers around 90 spaces
and its location (200 metres from the Schweriner Schloss) makes it an ideal starting point for tourists. The third building, Am Schloss, has space for 350 vehicles on several floors; it is close to both the castle and the city’s pedestrian zone. These three central car parks are just as convenient for visitors as for residents and commuters.
Spain: Barcelona at the heart of the action
The Catalan capital and its main centre attract visitors from all over the world. This is where the Novedades car park is located, a short distance from the famous Plaza de Cataluna. This tourist-friendly area - with the Ramblas and numerous shopping centresincludes the second largest
Zara shop in the world. Three years of work have made it possible to build a new car park with 458 spaces on three levels as well as a hotel and shops.
Germany: at the Mercado shopping centre
In Hamburg, the Mercado car park is connected to the shopping centre of the same name which comprises of shops, restaurants and a weekly fresh produce market on the ground floor. The spacious 24-hour parking complex has several floors and around 400 parking spaces,
25 of which are reserved for people with reduced mobility and 12 for women. The Mercado car park is located near the Altona railway station in the western district of Hamburg, Germany's second largest city and home to Europe's third largest port.
France: all over the country-wide
Interparking is continuing its expansion in France with the opening of several new sites all over the country, from the French Riviera to the Île-deFrance, via the "City of Ingres" Montauban. In Menton, near the Italian border, the Georges V has been offering 84 spaces since September
2020, while the Arenas car park in Nice opened more recently. In Montauban, an underground car park with 451 spaces on five levels, opened in the second half of 2021 in the city centre opposite the Cathedral. In the Paris region, Interparking has added two units to its portfolio: a 362-space, two-level car park in Bagnolet
(Seine-Saint-Denis) and another 389-space car park near the Versailles Chantiers train station which provides access to the capital in 25 minutes. For this reason, this car park also offers 182 secure spaces for two - wheelers.
Poland: a brand new car park for Krakow airport
Present at Krakow Airport since 2017, Interparking Polska has built a brand-new outdoor car park 400 metres from the terminal. The Balice car park boasts 618 spaces, including 10 dedicated to PRMs which can be reserved online.
Charging points, each catering for two electric vehicles, were
installed as well as a charging point for the electric bus that provides the shuttle service to the airport.
Poland: Wroclaw city centre car park joins the Interparking family
In mid-2021, the car park located on Liberty Square in Wroclaw - in the southwest of the country - joined the Interparking fold. This underground car park is equipped with lifts that provide direct access to the heart of the city and in particular to
the National Music Forum, a large classical concert hall. The car park has 662 spaces, including 28 for people with reduced mobility and 20 with charging points. A new online booking system has been introduced to offer discounts for either 4-hour or 24-hour parking periods.
Germany: Gelsenkirchen station
In 2021, a new housing development was built in place of the Sellhorststraße car park, north of Gelsenkirchen's main station. The new complex of flats and offices now has a brand-new car park provided by Contipark. The 250-space car park is equipped with a number plate recognition system for entry and exit.
Germany: reservation system at StuttgartVaihingen car park
A brand-new parking reservation system has gone live at Stuttgart-Vaihingen station. Through a dedicated website, customers can select their reservation period and pay for their parking online via payment card. On the day, they identify themselves at the
car park entrance (by means of their number plate) and can drive to their reserved parking space. Following this initial success, deployment to other car parks in the country is currently being explored.
Austria: shop 'n go in Vienna
Contipark has also expanded its portfolio in Austria. The company recently acquired the Interspar Breitenfurter Strasse car park in Vienna; this underground car park is connected to the hypermarket of the same name making shopping convenient and comfortable. The Interspar
Breitenfurter Tiefgarage offers 191 parking spaces; visitors can easily enjoy shopping or sightseeing. Contipark currently operates 15 car parks in the Austrian capital out of a total of 570 car parks in Austria and Germany.
Spain: more than 180,000 users of the P-App
Launched in 2019 for the Spanish market, the P-App currently has just over 180,000 users. Spanish customers can now pay for their parking tickets, season tickets, or street parking via the app. Users can also enter and exit the country's car parks in a contactless manner: by entering their number plate
in the app, the barrier opens automatically while payment is made via the cloud. The app will be further enhanced in the future, for example, with an electric vehicle charging feature.
Romania: expanding our offer in Bucharest
The renovation of the Bucur Obor car park in Bucharest is nearing completion. Its forthcoming opening is excellent news for the Romanian capital, which, as it continues to develop economically, is sorely lacking in parking spaces. The building will have two levels and a total of 965 spaces. The originality lies in its design:
located under a huge square, the car park barrier is divided into two north-south sections on either side of a major road. Interparking Romania already offers four other car parks in Bucharest: the Piata Universitatii and the Inter car park, located a few steps from the old town and the university, the Pipera car park, nestled in the heart of an office district in the north of the city, and the vast Sun Plaza Mall car park in the south of the capital.
France: nearly 4,000 car park spaces in Mantesla-Jolie
Interparking France won the contract to operate every car park in the town of Mantesla-Jolie (Yvelines). Regarding road-side parking, there are the 3,160 spaces in the red and blue zones, where the parking meters have been replaced to enable mobile payment. The underground car parks are Cœur de Mantes (215 spaces),
Hôtel de Ville (300), Normandie (340), and Vieux Pilori (100) for which renovation work is planned including the installation of charging stations.
The Aire Brieussel outdoor car park will be transformed to a 70-space car park.
France: 700 new charging stations
Thanks to a partnership with TotalEnergies, Interparking has initiated a major plan to deploy recharging facilities in its French car parks. In 2022, 700 charging stations are being installed in about 20 car parks but the aim is to reach 1,500 stations by 2025. These are 22 KVA stations, accessible to all Interparking users (subscribers, hourly users, bookers) via payment by bank card or mobility card.
Through this partnership, TotalEnergies will also take over the charging stations that already exist in certain car parks to ensure consistent and efficient management of the entire network.
Pcard App: our flagship product has now its application
In 2021, a virtual version of the Pcard+ as a mobile application was developed.
Launched in spring 2022 in beta version, it is now widely available. In a few seconds, the user can register and link his or her licence plate number to their bank card. The user’s car will be instantly recognised within the Pcard+
app network. The app also generates a QR-code required to open pedestrian access and provides a transaction history plus a map of the compatible car parks. The Pcard+ app will progressively be enhanced with new features and more of our car parks will become compatible.
Cargo-bikes delivery solution in partnership with Ziegler
In September 2021, Interparking launched, "Cargo-bikes" in partnership with Ziegler Logistics. This a green initiative to contribute to smarter and more
sustainable urban logistics. This "last-mile" (final stage of the order process) delivery solution sees large parcels delivered with very low to almost zero CO 2 emissions: an electric truck "shuttle" connects the main hub to a microhub located in the
Interparking Albertine car park in Brussels; from there, the cargo bikes leave for the final destination. This service is not only greener but it’s also more efficient, for example, the Cargo Bike XXL makes up to 50 stops per day whereas a conventional distribution truck
only makes an average of 25 stops per day. Introduced as a proof-of-concept, the initiative will soon be extended to other cities such as Knokke and Bruges.
