How to measure the attendance of a free, barrier-free car park?
Free, open-access car parks represent a management challenge that local authorities, tourist site managers and transport operators are well aware of. Unlike paid car parks equipped with barriers and access control systems, these open parking spaces do not have any natural device to count the vehicles entering, leaving or occupying the spaces. However, measuring their attendance has become essential: to size extensions, optimize seat rotation, pilot mobility policies or regulate tourist numbers. This article analyzes existing methods for counting vehicles in barrier-free car parks, compares their advantages and limitations, and proposes an operational framework for choosing the right solution for each context.
Private and public car parks
June 1, 2026
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