As the world population continues to grow and more people move to urban environments, major cities are concerned with the growing parking demand, increasing traffic searching for a parking space and thus CO2 emissions. To improve the usage of the new and existing parking capacity and to offer citizens and visitors the best parking service, cities like Madrid are in a constant search for innovative solutions. By implementing Nedap’s sensors in the Pozuelo Smart City project, Madrid reduces search traffic by guiding motorists to free parking spaces smoothly and expects to reduce CO2 emissions up to 35%. The real-time parking data is integrated with the Smart City platform from Wairbut, a CISCO certified partner.

This year the region of Madrid successfully implemented Nedap’s parking sensors as part of the Pozuelo Smart City project. Citizens and visitors are informed about the real-time occupancy status of the city’s available parking spaces. The project makes Pozuelo the point of reference among Smart Cities in Spain. It promotes the intelligent development of the city to serve as a showcase both within the region Madrid and the rest of Spain, attracting enterprising initiatives that improve citizen quality of life.

Nedap’s Sensit system consists of parking sensors that detect in real-time whether or not a single parking bay is occupied and for how long it has been occupied. The collected information about the current availability of parking spaces is being transmitted to the Pozuelo Smart Park app, which is available for Android and iOS. This free application guides users towards available parking space as close as possible to their destination. This contributes to an optimised traffic flow and improved utilisation of the existing parking capacity. The deployment of the Nedap wireless parking sensors in the Pozuelo Smart City project will contribute to reduce search traffic with the Pozuelo Smart Park app. As a result of that CO2 emissions in the area are estimated to reduce up to 35% in this traffic crowded region. The system enables the city to reduce congestion, create safer streets and a more attractive city for visitors and local retailers.

In addition to this intelligent parking system, other aspects like energy efficiency in municipal buildings, intelligent irrigation systems and light sensors complete the Pozuelo Smart City project. Acting as the brain of the city, Wairbut’s management platform Carriots City Life offers a centralised monitoring of four integrated Smart City projects including the intelligent parking solution. By introducing this project, the city council has real-time knowledge of what happens in the city and can act immediately to cancel the automatic watering on rainy days, light the lamps when there is fog or reduce energy consumption in their premises.

Wairbut, a Cisco certified partner, planned, implemented and commissioned the wireless parking sensor solution with the experienced Spanish team of Nedap Identification Systems.

"Of the four systems included in the project’s first phase, the smart parking system was the first to be operational. Certainly we were right with the election of Nedap, because the Sensit system is very comprehensive and easy to integrate. Furthermore, we are satisfied with the delivery and support with the deployment and implementation,” said Antonio Sanchez, CEO of Wairbut.

This installation is another success in the rapid growing Smart Cities reference list in all parts of the world, focusing on ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) solutions contributing to green and sustainable environmental conditions of urban areas.