The city of Hanoi has commenced piloting a smartphone application that helps users to search and pay for car parking via mobile phones, namely iParking, at parking lots along Tran Hung Dao and Ly Thuong Kiet Streets, Hoan Kiem District on May 1.

The iParking software application helps drivers find and pay for parking using a smartphone.

The app is being piloted by the Hanoi Parking JSC in collaboration with CIS Investment JSC over three months, from May 1 to August 1, 2017.

Presented in Vietnam for the first time, iParking is a smartphone software which allows users to find and make payment for parking. It provides users with a list of vacant parking locations in the pilot area as well as many other useful features.

There are 17 parking lots with a capacity of 248 cars on the two streets. Of these, 16 points will allow parking from 6am to 10pm every day and a 24-hour parking spot. The number of free lots at each stop will be updated continuously. Drivers can easily select a stopping point by scanning the QR Code at the stop or quickly enter the parking code on the application.

The application also automatically informs users 15 minutes prior to the parking time expiration and users can extend their parking period remotely. The price for parking is calculated accurately according to the regulations of management agencies.

For convenience, iParking supports a variety of payment methods, such as international payment cards, local ATM cards and SMS messages. The application is now available on AppStore/CH Play, allowing users to register multiple vehicles simultaneously on one account.

17 parking lots using iParking with a capacity of 248 vehicles have been set up on Ly Thuong Kiet and Tran Hung Dao Streets. (Credit: NDO)

According to Pham Van Duc, Deputy Director of Hanoi Parking Company, the pilot of iParking aims to improve the efficiency of State management over traffic and vehicles in parking areas, gradually modernising infrastructure and improving the quality of parking services in the city.

The application helps to publicise and clarify the location of parking lots, parking rates and service charges, while helping to minimise congestion and traffic in the streets, Duc emphasised.

After three months of piloting the application the Hanoi Parking Company will review the results and add more features to maximise convenience for users.

iParking is currently being applied in eight developed countries, including the US, France, the UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, Denmark, and Israel. Vietnam is the ninth country to adopt this technology.

Users can visit https://www.iparking.vn for more detailed instructions.

Nhan Dan