Site and objective:
Arlesey Station is situated on the Great Northern route (formerly First Capital Connect) and is a key commuter location servicing journeys to and from London Kings Cross. The station previously had fewer than 100 car parking spaces and, with the number of passengers using the station increasing by more than 300,000 over the last 10 years, it was clear that demand was outstripping supply and there was an opportunity for a forward thinking private investor.
In 2014 a new independent 400 space surface car park within just a short walk from the platform was opened and Britannia Parking was chosen to operate the site. Our first challenge was to source and implement a car park management system that was both user friendly and flexible for customers to use, which also has the ability to cater for the diverse individual customer requirements that are associated with commuter belt station parking.
Car Park Management Solution Provided:
As with all new sites the selection of system is key to making the site work to greatest effect. Given the focus on ease and speed of customer use we introduced the latest Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology system bringing flexible payment choices to the car park user in a free flowing environment without entry or exit barriers.
We also added:
- Pay on departure capability
- Online and pay by phone capabilities for season tickets
- Account holder module for pay per usage billing
In addition to this Britannia Parking completed a wide ranging marketing plan to build awareness that the station had improved parking facilities to draw in additional customers.
Outcome:
Since opening in April 2014, the site has seen continued and progressive growth with customers telling us they like the convenient web based payment options and, as another key benefit of this technology, we are able to gain useful market intelligence and understand exactly who is parking with us and how often. With a well presented, bright and safe car park offering more than the traditional Pay and Display systems used at many of the other similar stations locally, Arlesey continues to see a significant month on month lift in the number of commuters choosing to travel from its station.
If you own land with the potential to provide an income by operating as a car park, or if you already have a car park operating on your land and feel you are not realising its full potential in revenue terms, then please contact our car park acquisitions team by filling in our enquiry form to book a discreet, no obligation site survey.
For more information about any of our services, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team today.