Unicentro Bogotá

Unicentro Bogotá is one of the most outstanding shopping centres in the capital of Colombia. Since its opening in the 1970s, it has acted as an engine of development in its area of influence. Today, it offers 44,000 square metres of commercial space across 12 hectares and receives more than 20 million visitors annually.

Original Situation

• The parking control system was based on magnetic stripe technology. With a turnover of up to 13,000 vehicles daily, the more than 30 automatic pay stations were previously only equipped for cash payments and lacked the capability to issue electronic receipts.
• If customers wished to pay by credit card or obtain a receipt, they had to go to the manual pay stations. Due to the high turnover at the centre, these often had long queues, leading to a high level of customer dissatisfaction.
• The design and signage of the entry and exit lanes, many of which were reversible, caused confusion among drivers and frequently resulted in a high degree of congestion.
• In the event of a specific or general failure of the internal communication network, the infrastructure would come to a standstill as the system could only operate online.

Implemented Solution

• As part of a refurbishment project, Meypar has replaced the previous infrastructure with a parking control system based on QR barcode technology.
• All terminals in the new system can temporarily operate off-line, and maintain their operational capacity until connectivity with the server is restored.
• The refurbishment includes a new mobility design, both for access and internally, with 16 entry lanes, 11 exit lanes and specific lanes for motorcycle and bicycle access.
• The entry and exit lanes are equipped with cameras for reading and recognising number plates and operate with a hybrid ticketless solution for entry with a ticket and exit with number plate identification.
• The payment areas feature 37 automatic pay stations, all equipped with credit card payment modules and the capability to issue electronic receipts, in addition to cash payment options on 20 of the machines.
• The issue of electronic receipts at the pay stations is integrated with DIAN’s (National Tax and Customs Directorate) digital platform, the authority responsible for managing taxes and customs in Colombia.
• The MTPM mobile and tablet application by Meypar is implemented for charging parking stays.
• The parking control system is synchronised with Nexus, Meypar’s centralised management platform. At the same time, it features an integrated automatic data exporter.

Results Achieved

• Mobility at entry points is optimised in order to achieve smoother traffic flow in and out of the car park, which also enhances public road mobility.
• Congestion in exit lanes during peak hours is reduced thanks to the improved flow achieved with exits by number plate and additional staff equipped with mobile pay stations, which also optimises human resource management.
• Waiting times at manual pay stations are eliminated as parking fees can be paid with credit cards and other methods, and an electronic receipt can be obtained at any of the 37 automatic pay stations.
• The collection of usage and financial data from the car park is reliably automated, allowing for the monitoring of the facility and obtaining real-time, remote updates.