Problem Statement

The iconic shopping center Amoreiras, located on one of the highest hills in Lisbon, Portugal, is the oldest shopping center in the country, built in 1985. Owned and operated by Mundicenter, it is a multi-purpose facility offering a mix of retail, offices, and residential spaces to over 15 million visitors annually.

Its multi-floor car park is thus subject to the high traffic of various user groups, such as as residents, contractors, employees, and transient visitors, each with their own access preferences and needs: speedy access, convenient payments, and a quick fix for lost tickets. For over 20 years, HUB’s Partner BIGSYSTEMS has provided comprehensive parking services to Mundicenter, deploying three generations of HUB Parking systems (P900, Zeag, then Jupiter) and providing staff training as well as regular maintenance.

Considering the evolution of visitors’ habits and expectations towards more digitization and rapidness, BIGSYSTEMS has identified the ideal combination of highly reliable hardware and software in a hybrid parking solution with both ticketed and ticketless access, LPR technology, and multiple payment options.

Background

The Amoreiras property covers an area of 45 thousand square meters, encompassing 5 parking floors with 2,000 total spaces (900 for retail visitors and staff and 1100 for residents), 3 towers for offices and 3 for residents, more than 200 stores in the retail gallery, and a unique viewpoint on the rooftop of the 18th floor.

Every month an average of 6,000 customers visits the mall’s stores, restaurants, and viewpoint especially on weekends. The shopping center’s location in proximity to schools and the Benfica football stadium, also contributes to a variable influx of vehicles: school children’s families, non-shoppers, and sports fans to Amoreiras car park.

The complex conditions demanded a flexible and easy-to-use total solution capable of managing and monitoring parking operations, to guarantee the highest level of customer satisfaction at all times, avoiding the build-up of queues and waiting times for entering and exiting the premises.

Client Requirements

• Simplified parking process for frequent users, like residents and employees
• Facilitated payment methods including digital and mobile-enabled systems, such as Portuguese MB WAY
• Ticketless configuration with camera-based License Plate Recognition (LPR)
• Integration with existing toll system Via Verde to access and pay
• An advanced management system monitoring all new features, integrated with multiple payment options and access media, and capable to provide reporting on all operations
• Magnetic tickets replacement with more reliable barcode tickets

Results

Thanks to the collaboration with HUB Parking, BIGSYSTEMS proposed to Mundicenter an innovative, hybrid (ticketed and ticketless), and more user-friendly system offering free-flow access, thus reducing the waiting time in-lane and minimizing the risk of ticket loss. The new system flexibility would cater to the diverse access needs of shoppers, residents, employees, and external events’ attendees.

With the ticketless access, the LPR cameras capture the license plate information at entry, triggering the management system and the barrier to open without the issuance of a paper ticket, thus reducing the overall environmental footprint of the car park. Residents’ and employees’ license plates are immediately checked against the management system database, maintained by Mundicenter staff. Transient vehicles’ license plates are captured as well and communicated via the management system to the Automated Pay Stations (APS), where the drivers can easily identify and pay their parking fee through the “Pay by plate” functionality. Upon exit, the LPR cameras will recognize the approved license plates (either subscribers or paid transients) and let the vehicles out in a breeze.

The ticketed access has been maintained as an additional option, and now relies on compact Jupiter stations – the ideal choice for narrow lanes and low-ceiling floors. Magnetic tickets have been replaced with barcode tickets, that have proved to be more durable. Payments are done at the Pay Stations, elegantly designed devices which are strategically located throughout the car park floors; they handle cash, card, and digital payments including MB WAY (the leading mobile payment app in Portugal) and Via Verde, the country toll system which is preferred by approx. 75% of Amoreiras visitors.

The parking operations for over 2,000 stalls are easily managed through the centralized platform JMS, Janus Management System, by Mundicenter staff. JMS integrates data from all parking stations and cameras of the facility, overseeing all transits through the entry and exit lanes and all payment transactions. By collecting and displaying through a colored tile-based dashboard, JMS guarantees visibility of real-time status information, complete monitoring, full configuration of tariffs and counters, and ultimately comprehensive reporting to parking staff. As a result, the management is able to analyze a wider array of data insights and take more informed decisions.

Enjoying a day of shopping, coming home, or going to work at one of the most iconic commercial spaces in Lisbon has never been so pleasant!

About HUB Parking Technology

HUB Parking Technology is the Business Unit of the FAAC Group that develops software and intelligent mobile solutions produces, installs, and supplies hardware and after-sales services for the professional management of paid parking spaces. HUB Parking Technology offers flexibility, competence, and personalized and widespread assistance at a local level, combined with the capacity, network, and strength of a global operator. Over the years, the company has constantly innovated to develop state-of-the-art systems and integrated value-added solutions that make parking efficient for users, and profitable, and easy for operators to manage. 

For more information about HUB Parking Technology, visit: www.hubparking.com