Parks and Tech: Apps aim to make better use of car-parking spaces

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Commuting by car can test the patience of anyone living in China's major cities. Beyond the sheer volume of traffic, parking is notoriously difficult in central areas. Now, startup companies have developed mobile phone apps to help people locate parking spots. CGTN's Meng Qingsheng visited ETCP Group in Beijing, China's largest smart parking service developer.

A simple touch on the phone, and here's the nearest place to park. This smart parking app, developed by ETCP Group, is now making city driving easier for millions of commuters. Yang Lei works in the IT industry. He regularly has to navigate the streets of central Beijing. And for the past year, he has benefited from this app.

YANG LEI CAR OWNER I think a major benefit of this app is the convenience. I especially like the automatic payment function, because you don't need to pay cash when you enter or leave a parking spot. Also, it can always recommend a suitable parking space for me in an area I don't know. And it allows me to choose from a number of parking locations as well as a range of prices.

The Beijing transport authority recently issued the results of a "parking resource census." It shows the city needs around 1.3 million more parking spaces, and China as a whole, an estimated 50 million more.

MENG QINGSHENG BEIJING A recent study shows that 50 percent of all parking spaces are not being effectively used. Spots in office buildings, for example, are full during the day but mostly empty at night, while the opposite case can be found in residential areas. With this shared parking service in place, users can rent surplus parking spots for as little as one hour or as long as a few months.

ETCP Group was founded in 2012. The company acts as a coordinator between parking lot owners and drivers. It doesn't make money from customers paying to park, but profits from advertising and value-added services on the app.

ZHU KAI, VICE PRESIDENT ETCP GROUP We have worked hard to meet the demands of both parking lot owners and drivers. There's no shortcut to create it. You have to help them solve real problems, like improving management and experience. For us, quality of service is always the priority.

The company has grown into the biggest player in China's smart parking sector. Its service covers more than five thousand lots in two hundred Chinese cities, reaching over ten million users.

ZHU KAI, VICE PRESIDENT ETCP GROUP For some, parking is a trivial matter, but it affects the efficiency of the whole city. Only when efficiency is improved can people enjoy more convenience. As a pioneer in this shared parking service, we'd like to contribute a bit more to society.

There are over 100 companies across China providing smart parking services. They've made life much easier for drivers. Now they hope the authorities will issue clearer policies, to regulate the new industry's growth, and ensure they operate smoothly. Meng Qingsheng, CGTN, Beijing.