Orbility was selected by Paris event and shopping centre operator Viparis to install a new mixed use parking management system for the Centre of New Industries and Technologies (CNIT) Shopping Centre, an iconic building comprising around 50 shops, restaurants, a hotel and supermarket, also used as a convention centre, at the heart of La Défense, the major business district situated three kilometres west of the city.

Due to the proximity of both metro and train stations, free parking would have meant that daily business users took spaces to the detriment of the shopping centre’s occupants.

The project took place between January and February 2020.

The challenge was to maintain 500 parking spaces for people coming to shop within the Centre, whilst allowing limited parking by other commuters or business users.

This necessitated a fine balance of structuring a parking fee high enough to generate revenue from business users, yet providing a discount to shoppers who are issued with a paper ticket on driving into CNIT’s parking areas.

With an established reputation and experience in this area of technical solutions for different groups of users, Orbility implemented a smartphone validation eParkService app. This allows shoppers and those who assist at congresses which are staged in the Shopping Centre to submit their parking ticket to an agent at the Information Centre, who will scan the ticket and select the applicable discount, which is applied immediately.

Orbility’s innovative technology has ensured shoppers can find available spaces, then on completing their visit, enjoy a parking fee discount based upon time, money, tariff change or percentage,

CNIT continues to offer a first class parking service at a fair rate to encourage people to spend within the Shopping Centre, whilst business users pay a premium, resulting in appropriate revenue from mixed users throughout a busy, safe and secure car park.