Concrete Analysis | ‘Smart’ technology could get cars off the roads in Hong Kong and into parking spaces faster
- Drivers cruising around to find parking spaces adds to Hong Kong’s traffic problem
- Robots, ‘smart’ Apps could help drivers get their vehicles off the streets quickly
Automobiles are one of the major means of transport in Hong Kong, but they are in use for just 3 per cent to 5 per cent of their lifetime, remaining parked for the rest of the time.
Given the scarcity of land, parking spaces are not easy to find, and looking for one is time-consuming.
According to Transport Department, the number of private cars in Hong Kong has soared from 402,000 in 2006 to 618,000 in 2018.
The number of vehicles is outnumbering parking spaces, resulting in illegal parking on the streets.
Cruising for parking is a problem caused by the increase of car owners, and additional traffic is then results from drivers wandering around in search of car parking spaces. Even though the government has implemented fierce tax policies on the prices of fuels and cars, the number of cars in Hong Kong continues to grow.
That raises the question: Do we need to have more parking spaces and better management?
