Smart parking using the iParking application, which allows drivers to find parking lots and pay fares with their smart phones, will be piloted in Hanoi for three months from May 1.

A smart parking lot in Hanoi 

Presented in Vietnam for the first time, the iParking app is being piloted by the Hanoi Parking Joint Stock Company in collaboration with the CIS Investment Company.

The pilot service will be carried out in 17 parking zones with a capacity of 248 cars on Tran Hung Dao and Ly Thuong Kiet streets. The parking areas are available seven days a week, with 16 lots open from 6:00 to 22:00 and one 24 hours a day. 

Fares can be paid through the app, which offers various payment methods like international payment cards, local ATM cards and SMS.

Drivers will be able to choose a parking spot by scanning QR codes at parking spots or by entering a parking code on the application, with vacant parking locations updated continuously.

The application also informs users 15 minutes prior to their parking time expiring and offers them the option of extending their parking period through their smartphones.

According to deputy director of Hanoi Parking Joint Stock Company Pham Van Duc, the iParking app aims to enhance efficiency of state management of vehicles in parking spots, modernise infrastructure and improve service quality.

The app also helps publicise the location of parking lots and ensures transparency in collecting parking fees, he added.

Currently, Hanoi has about 1,100 parking lots, 200 of which are on roads and employ staff to watch vehicles and collect fees.

VNA