Parking Barriers in the Background

You could believe that parking barriers are simply the metal arms that lift and lower at car parks. That’s only a small part of the story. Today, these devices act as important guides for how we travel through British towns and cities daily.

Manual or Automatic What to Choose?

There are times when manual barriers are still needed and can be found protecting smaller car parks, driveways for private homes, and residential areas in England. The cost to install and maintain manual barriers is lower. You don’t need electricity, you won’t have to programme it and you never have to worry about updates in the middle of the night.

The downside of manual barriers is that there must be someone to control the machinery. This involves either hiring more workers or making users’ lives more difficult. To solve this issue, many housing estates are now using key fobs or remote controls. People living there can enjoy the benefits without having to pay for utilities.

Physical barriers are used for a different reason than other barriers. Bollards, height restrictors, and those sharp triangles that harm a car’s tyres if you drive over them are examples. Their purpose is to prevent unauthorised vehicles from entering.

Why Businesses Admire Them (And Occasionally Dislike Them)

Enthusiasm for parking barriers has spread among retail parks. They address the long-standing issue of where commuters can park. Many office workers would park their cars at the shopping centre all day without paying. The situation changed overnight because of the barriers.

Revenue is a crucial part of any business. Now, a lot of barriers are set up to earn money that covers some of the costs of running the business. A few shopping centres have made their car parks into sources of income. If you are shopping, you can park for free; if you are not, you have to pay.

Installation Headaches

Most people find it harder to install barriers correctly than they think. Problems can occur due to underground utilities. The barrier housing should have power supplies, data connections, and adequate drainage. If a property is in a conservation area or a listed building, it may require planning permissions.

The arm length of parking barriers is chosen based on the road’s width, how the traffic is arranged, and how much space is needed for safety.

Ground loops in the road can sense when a vehicle is approaching. The loops should be placed with care to ensure they do not pick up signals from nearby metal or electricity. Often, installation teams adjust the sensitivity of the system a few weeks after seeing its performance in actual conditions.

The Technology That Supports Modern Systems

RFID tags and proximity cards changed the industry when they were first introduced. Automatic number plate recognition systems have made them look almost outdated. ANPR cameras are able to identify cars from a distance, so barriers can be raised or lowered automatically.

The addition of payment systems has created new opportunities. Some of these obstacles involve parking apps that can be used on your device. For some, the connection is made through a subscription or a corporate account. The information gathered by these systems allows operators to see how their customers use the system and adjust their rates accordingly.

Many Problems and How to Solve Them

Both users and operators get annoyed by false triggers. Landing birds, blowing plastic bags and temperature changes can sometimes make the barrier go off unexpectedly. Experts are able to adjust the sensitivity to help prevent these issues from happening.

Cost Considerations

You can expect to pay around £3,000 for basic automatic  parking barriers installed. Adding ANPR, payment processing, or the ability to check vehicles from afar makes it move at a much faster pace. Most annual maintenance contracts are priced at 15-20% of what you paid for the initial installation.

The speed of payback is affected only by the amount of usage and the revenue you make. It is possible for a busy retail car park to cover its costs in just two years. A community that only pays attention to access control may never earn money from it.