Newpark Solutions has been awarded a major contract to install the latest Fusion ticketless pay-on-foot parking system at over 40 woods and forests across the UK managed by the Forestry Commission.
The company won the open tender for a formal framework agreement, one of the largest over the last few years, in the face of strong competition from established suppliers of traditional parking solutions. The first two installations have already been completed to handle over 1000 car parking spaces situated at Alice Holt, a Royal forest in Hampshire, and Moors Valley Country Park in Dorset.
The Forestry Commission charges for vehicle access within these forests to supplement government funding and assist with the maintenance costs of the woodland facilities where a wide range of activities take place throughout the year. They include live music, kids days out, walking, cycling, horse-riding, tree-top adventures, wildlife trails and wide range of special events.
According to Richard Burke, District Recreation and Public Affairs Manager at the Forestry Commission, 'a particularly important factor in choosing the Fusion system from Newpark Solutions was that being ticketless, it was a more environmentally friendly solution in keeping with our principles of conservation and sustainable forestry. The new system takes care of itself allowing us to retain more revenue whilst reducing operational costs. Newpark is also tailoring each installation to meet specific local needs, with any software development carried out by its UK-based team of software specialists at no additional cost.'
The Fusion system uses ANPR cameras at the entrance to each car park, automatically raising the barriers and eliminating the need for drivers having to wait for tickets to be dispensed. A virtual ticket is created upon entry and is used to allow the vehicle to leave by automatically raising the exit barrier after payment has been made.
The pay stations have been installed in purpose-built timber shelters to blend in with the natural surroundings in each location and protect drivers from the elements when paying for their parking before departure. They feature large 17' screens that allow visitors to quickly and easily input their registration numbers even when wearing gloves or prosthetic devices. Online payments can also be made through Newpark's hosted platform before departure.
Newpark Solutions has also provided the Forestry Commission with a centralised parking management application with a real-time dashboard showing instant views of each car park, detailing all movements and payments. It includes analytics that provide insight to help plan future events and identify peak periods to organise staff rotas in visitor centres.
