The Airports Company of SA (Acsa) is implementing a R20 million IT-based bay detection system in its parking facilities at OR Tambo International Airport, in Kempton Park, to ease congestion and traveller frustration.
The solution optimises a new investment in parkades at the sprawling facility.
OR Tambo Airport spokesperson Tasniem Patel says the air facility currently boasts over 12 000 parking bays. The number is set to rise once a new multi-storey parkade is fully commissioned.
She says the number and size of the parkades made parking management "integral to daily airport operations".
"With so many parking bays on offer, the Landside Department concluded that Acsa needed to provide and implement a solution to efficiently and effectively guide the public into available parking bays," she says.
Travellers often enter parking areas under time constraints and "invariably experience the frustration of having to drive around looking for vacant parking bays".
Patel says the result is often uncontrollable traffic flow within the parking areas, missed flights and frustrated passengers.
"We believe the implementation of the bay detection system will go a long way to greatly improving airport visitor satisfaction."
She says the system comprises sensors above parking bays that activate lights that turn from green to red when occupied by vehicles. "The lights make it easier for drivers to locate empty parking bays, and in turn mean the facilities are utilised more effectively."
The system is already in operation at the international basement and multi-storey parkade and will be fully installed in the domestic parkade in February.
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