5G Upgrade Solves U.K. Parking Challenges

Gloucester County Council in the U.K. has responded to problems with unauthorized parking at a park-and-ride service in Cheltenham with a 5G and QR-based solution.

The Arle Court Park & Ride in Cheltenham has been plagued by unauthorized parking, as increased development in the area created more congestion.

The service was purpose-built for bus passengers to park their vehicles and then take public transport, and an earlier solution with 4G dongle connectivity was proving unreliable.

The QR code system suffered from frequent connectivity issues, disconnecting as regularly as every 20 minutes, causing problems for passengers and bus drivers.

The solution implemented by 5G provider Cradlepoint involved installing a R1900 router and a Panorama Antenna within the bus.

Ignition Sensing was then configured to ensure continuous connectivity, and the more rugged router provides optimal performance even in extreme weather conditions.

With gigabit LTE and second-generation 5G architecture, it delivers lightning-fast speeds of up to 1Gbps. 

Under the new solution, scanning a passenger’s QR code ticket on the bus reader effectively validates the parking.

Drivers enter their registration numbers on touchscreen machines in the car park and are then issued with a QR code, which they scan on the bus.

If tickets are not scanned on the bus, the driver will be issued a penalty charge notice and a fine of up to GBP50 pounds.

Through the solution's implementation, the council has successfully tackled parking abuse through enhanced enforcement capabilities, leading to a better experience for passengers and staff.

Following the successful rollout of the 5G system, the council is now exploring the potential of additional services, such as on-board Wi-Fi for passengers, while other councils are looking to replicate the solution.

Image credit: iStockphoto/nonnie192