A smart parking system ensures future-ready mobility

Our society is mobile, and vehicles are and will remain an integral part of our everyday lives. Effective parking management is essential for smooth traffic flow and the efficient use of available parking space.

In 2024, Germany reached a historic high of 49 million vehicles. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, traffic density has risen significantly over the last ten years, by 37 cars per 1,000 inhabitants.

Transport policy makers have recognized that the limited parking space available is often not used optimally, meaning that potential for revenue and improving quality of life remains untapped.

To enable motorists to park stress-free and relieve the burden on local authorities, operators of retail businesses, clinics, and specialist retail centers, private property owners and municipal institutions need smart parking solutions that integrate seamlessly into local mobility.

Well-planned parking space management helps to overcome these challenges and ease the traffic situation, ensuring that authorized parkers once again have sufficient parking spaces available. 

The extensive product portfolio ranges from paid parking management (FreeFlow) and app solutions to monitoring maximum parking times using cameras or parking discs. 

Since 2020, fair parken has been integrating Axis network cameras as sensors into its camera-based platform for FreeFlow and free parking. This milestone is based on in-house developed AI applications, backend processes and proprietary operating devices (including pay stations).

In the field of camera-based parking management, fair parken primarily relies on bullet cameras from the AXIS P14 Series, Q17 Series and Q18 Series. The cameras impress with their outstanding image quality and powerful processors, which enable deep learning and edge analytics. 

fair parken's self-learning technology achieves one of the best license plate recognition (LPR) rates in the industry – in real time and under all weather conditions. 

fair parken offers parking systems tailored to different customer needs: 

• Paid parking for secure revenue: The state-of-the-art FreeFlow parking systemis based on camera-based license plate recognition (LPR) without barriers or tickets. The solution is suitable for multi-story car parks, underground car parks and open spaces. 

In this ticketless system, Axis cameras placed at entrances and exits record the license plates of all vehicles entering and leaving and digitize the parking process. 

Payments are made at modern pay stations by entering the license plate number. Entering the license plate number calls up the parking duration and displays the corresponding parking fee. Alternatively, the parking fee can be paid online up to 48 hours later. 

Since all parking permits are stored digitally, the certificate cannot be lost or forgotten. 
Fair parken is already successfully using the FreeFlow parking system on the island of Mainau, for example, in its 1,500-space paid mainland car park. 

• Free parking for regulated parking: camera-based license plate recognition (LPR) is a forward-looking alternative to recording maximum parking time with a parking disc. 

When entering, the vehicle's license plate is scanned: the parking process begins and the parking time is recorded digitally. When exiting, the license plate is scanned again, and the parking process ends. 

In addition to its innovative technology, fair parken offers a comprehensive range of services. The company has the largest service center in the industry and dedicated regional contact persons throughout Germany.

Another key advantage of the collaboration is a shared commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) measures. 

Axis designs and manufactures its hardware in line with high standards for data protection and sustainability, while fair processing ensures that all data handling fully complies with applicable regulations such as GDPR, the EU’s data protection law.

Thanks to the GDPR-compliant processing of all personal data, the solution also meets the highest data protection standards.

Fair parken fulfills the standards of VdS 10010 for the collection, storage and processing of data. 

Digital parking systems, such as the solutions offered by fair parken, are a key component of a sustainable and future-proof mobility transition. They enable efficient use of parking space, reduce emissions, and noticeably relieve the burden on cities. 

The combination of innovative camera technology from Axis and the self-learning systems from fair parken ensures the highest license plates recognition rates, maximum data security and a smooth process for all involved — setting standards for modern urban mobility and making an important contribution to more livable, safer, and smarter cities.