INDOOROOPILLY Shopping Centre has announced plans to introduce paid parking for customers who park in the centre for more than three hours.

The centre today said it would introduce “Australia’s most advanced parking system” later this year when it becomes the first shopping centre in Queensland to introduce a ticketless parking system based on licence plate recognition.

The centre will begin installing the ticketless parking and a parking guidance system in July this year and expects to have it completed by the end of August.

From August, shoppers can create an online account by registering their licence plate number and credit car details.

On entry, a camera will capture licence plate details and a digital screen will display each car’s arrival time.

Cars will not be required to stop because tickets will not be issued.

Shoppers who register their details online prior to entering the carpark can receive a free SMS detailing their time of arrival.

media_camera Traffic islands and electrical wiring for boom gates and readers at the entrance and exit points of Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, where paid parking will soon commence, Indooroopilly. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

Once inside, electronic display boards will indicate the direction and quantity of available parking spaces.

When leaving, customers who have spent less than three hours in the car park can proceed straight to the exit where a camera will recognise the licence plate details and the boom gate will automatically open.

Shoppers who have spent more than three hours in the centre will pay a fee in one of two ways.

They can either enter their licence plate details and pay at one of the pay stations or register online and the parking fee will be automatically charged to their credit card.

Centre manager Leah Mienert said the centre would deploy the latest technology to provide the best car parking experience.

“We have listened to our customers and designed a system to ease congestion, streamline entry and exits and enable customer to locate car parking spaces more easily,” she said.

The controlled parking initiative will also include a parking guidance system which will use LED-based space indicators and electronic display boards to advise customers of available parking spaces.

Under the new system, customers will park free for up to three hours.

“Our research informs us of how long our customers spend in the centre on average and forecasts parking will remain free for 95 percent of our customers,” Ms Mienert said.

“The new system will help deter commuters and visitors who park at the centre to access off-site facilities, ensuring maximum parking is available for customers, staff and centre visitors.”

As part of the new system, the centre will assign designated staff only parking areas in the upper levels of the car park, and staff will incur a flat daily rate for parking.

Customers visiting the centre’s restaurants and cinemas will receive an additional one hour free parking whilst those with a disabled parking permit will be able to park all day for free.

Car parking will also be free after 6pm.

“We are committed to a system that is best for our customers and retailers and we will engage closely with both parties in the lead up to the implementation of controlled car parking,” Ms Mienert said.