Sutton Council, in South London, is trialling the use of internet-enabled sensors to improve services for disabled car users.
Provided by IoT Solutions Group, the sensors will be placed in disabled parking spots to provide vital data on the usage, frequency, and duration for which a given space is used.
The council hopes the project will help it make informed decisions during area developments and road layout changes, ensuring disabled car users are considered in the process.
The scheme is part of the ‘InnOvaTe Project’ being run by the South London Partnership to improve public services through IoT data collection.
Alongside Croydon, Kingston, Merton, and Richmond, Sutton is launching a variety of initiatives funded by the Strategic Investment Pot as part of the London Councils Business Rates Retention scheme.
Emma Mahy, CEO of IoT Solutions Group, said: “Innovative approaches, such as our smart parking solution, allow councils to make more informed decisions in a cost-effective way that was not possible before the dawn of technologies such as IoT.”
The car parking sensors will be trialled for a year and assessed by the University of Essex for value.
Neal Forse, chief technology officer at IoT Solutions Group, added: “It’s a win-win. The end-user gets a more efficient experience and the assurance that they can park where they need to park. The council gets the data they need to make sure the balance is right when reducing the number of cars in towns without affecting disabled people.”
Other IoT initiatives being launched by Sutton Council include using sensors to monitor air quality, reduce fly-tipping, and better understand local park usage.
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