Apps that can help you find that ideal parking spot

Finding a place to park your car, whether for business, shopping, medical treatment or for pleasure, can be a frustrating experience especially in busy areas of a big city.

The New South Wales Government recently partnered with Parkhound and Chargefox to give residents and visitors to the state a one-stop app which will help them find or rent parking spots and locate electric vehicle charging stations along their route.

Parking location and pay apps are not new to Australia. Neither is the peer-to-peer parking sharing economy which helps owners of car spaces such as garages, carports and even driveways rent them out when not in use.

But combining these services, as the NSW Park’nPay app does, with a further advantage for electric vehicle owners of locating charging stations and plug types, does offer added value. One app instead of three – who can argue with that?

We looked at some of the other parking apps available in Australia and how useful they are in practice.

How it works: The app, with an interactive online map, connects drivers looking for short- or long-term car parking with hosts that have spare spaces. Booking and payment is made through the app. You can book the parking spot for a day or months at a time, if available.

Reach: Parkhound has spaces to rent in high-demand locations including capital cities and popular residential and business precincts across the country. It is light on availability in regional centres.

Features: The app provides detailed information on available car spaces including access, size of vehicle it can accommodate, security and electric vehicle charging capability. Once you choose your spot and pay for it, the interactive map will direct you to the parking.

Cost: It is free to list your parking space with the service. Income from listings ranges from $300 per month for a driveway to $450 per month for a lockup garage. Parkhound takes a small fee from drivers for each transaction.

What we thought: Easy to navigate and good functionality whether you are listing a car parking space or renting one. The information it offers about the parking space at a glance is useful including whether you can charge your electric vehicle while parked. It doesn’t include general available spots in multi-level carparks or public one-street paid parking.  This is not the app for you if you are looking for a quick one-hour spot five minutes before your meeting.

Check out: www.parkhound.com.au

How it works: Oscar’s founders are passionate about using the sharing economy to create greener, smarter cities. The app connects people who have available car parking with those who need it for a flat day rate, a couple of hours or longer-term. Car Park operators, businesses and hotels can also list their excess parking or secure additional parking should they require it.

Reach: Oscar provides a comprehensive service in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with daily, hourly and monthly on-street and off-street parking options in the CBD and surrounds.

Features:  The app uses an interactive map to show car parking availability by location, price, car park size and access method. Most by-the-hour or daily bookings for paid parking garages require you to book at least an hour in advance to receive an entry code. Users can register their cars when setting up their accounts so searches can be individualised to match their vehicles. You can book and pay on the app as well as extending the time of the booking while your car is the parking bay.

Cost: All users pay for this service. If you list your parking spot, 20 per cent of your rental return goes to Oscar while those who book a space have to pay a booking fee with each transaction.

What we thought: The story of how Oscar was born is a great example of necessity being the mother of invention. It is an easy app to use with good graphics and response times and we found the map pretty accurate in use and the reminders signalling the end of the booking useful. It is limited to well-used areas in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne but Oscar says its expanding locations and listings all the time. We thought a 20 per cent fee for rental returns was a touch steep but I suppose it is a commercial enterprise.

Check out: https://www.sharewithoscar.com.au/

How it works: Parkopedia provides services in 15,000 cities in 89 countries around the world including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. It promises to find drivers the closest available spot to their destination and allows them to book and pay for parking online or through a mobile app. A large percentage of the parking options are through parking operators, hospitals, shopping centres, train stations and universities but individuals can also list private garages or parking bays for rent.

Range: Parkopedia claims to be active in 89 countries around the world and while they have a presence in Australia’s major cities, it is not exhaustive.

Features: The app allows you to access available on-street and off-street parking spots in real time and in addition to price, security information and operator contact details, also provides the shape and height of the parking spot and whether it can accommodate electric vehicle charging and disability access.

Cost: Parkopedia is primarily geared to parking operators rather than private listers. There were no costs available for fees associated with listing your available space but there is a small fee for people making bookings.

What we thought: Its great Parkopedia has an international reach but here in Australia the list of parking spots is not extensive. It is cool that Parkopedia data is integrated into in-car technology for automakers such as Audi, BMW, Ford and Toyota as well as Apple Maps to provide accurate information on parking locations and availability.

Check out: www.parkopedia.com.au

How it works: The Kerb app works for those looking for a parking space for a couple of hours to a monthly rental and also allows people who have parking options available to list their space. It is offered in Australia’s major cities with listings, bookings and payment done through the app. Kerb also partners with businesses, commercial car parks, universities, hospitals and event venues to offer parking solutions.

Features: The app has an easy five-step process for listing your parking spot and once you determine the availability the app takes care of everything else. Booking a spot is simple and intuitive and the map locator is easy to follow and accurate. There is also an alert feature that lets you know when spaces become available close to your destination.

Cost: You can list your driveway, carport, garage for free with Kerb taking a 10 per cent booking fee. Prices are set by the lister and can range from $5 per hour to in excess of $400 per month.

What we thought: We like that the app’s map shows both parking available from Kerb listers (red pins) as well as other available kerbside and parking facility spots in the area (blue pins). It is also beneficial that electric vehicle owners can access parking spots with charging options.

Check out: https://kerb.works/australia