Solution
The car park now operates as a hybrid system that combines License Plate Recognition (LPR) with a traditional ticket-based system. This setup enhances efficiency while ensuring reliability and choice for users.
LPR cameras grant seamless access, automatically capturing vehicle number plates, logging the entry time and triggering the barrier to open. For users who prefer a ticket, one can be issued by pressing the button at the entry station. The exit station also includes a contactless CHIP & Pin terminal allowing payment to be made at the exit, upon LPR camera reading.
The site is totally cashless and the payment process is smooth and practical. Customers enter their plate number at one of the two APC pay stations, and a fee is calculated on length of stay, alternatively they can scan their ticket, and the fee will be displayed on the terminal screen.
For a more convenient customer experience, J4Pay – HUB’s Mobile Payment Platform – offers a scan-to-pay option. Customers who prefer not to download an App can easily scan the QR codes displayed throughout the car park. To ensure a secure payment experience, it was essential to address the rising threat of cyber criminals exploiting these codes for payment fraud, phishing, and malware distribution, creating a robust solution by 3D-printing QR codes with highly durable weather resistant material. These QR codes are now embedded in all payment signage, providing a reliable and secure method for customers to make transactions and safer revenue for operators.
The system integrates J4M – HUB’s web validation platform – that enables merchants to issue parking discounts and vouchers. Given the wide range of facilities on site, the car park serves many different types of users. J4M empowers merchants to use the voucher system as a powerful marketing tool – offering discounted parking as an incentive to attract footfall, encourage longer visits, and increase customer spend.
The hardware system setup has been designed with flexibility in mind, with a bi-directional lane the system can have 2 entry lanes operational in the morning when entry traffic is far higher, then switch to making one of them an exit lane in the afternoon, to keep vehicles moving smoothly, thus creating a superior customer experience through adaptability.
The new parking solution has brought noticeable improvements to the customer experience. The system is more intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly, helping to modernize day-to-day operations. In its first full month, the system handled nearly 19,000 transactions – clear proof that customers are quickly getting on board and using it with confidence. By introducing this upgraded parking technology, Flemingate car park now meets modern expectations – not just in terms of performance, but also in how it looks and feels.
Shaun Dart, Facility Manager, commented: “From start to finish, the team at HUB have been fantastic. They took the time to understand our needs, proposed solutions that worked efficiently for us, and their after-sales support has been nothing short of exemplary. The entire process was handled with professionalism and care, and we’ve felt fully supported every step of the way.”
Flemingate Shopping Center, located in Beverley, UK, is a vibrant retail and leisure destination that opened in November 2015. Developed with a £70 million investment on a 16-acre site, it transformed a former industrial area into a bustling hub for shopping, dining, and entertainment.