Modular counting management system for mall parking services

Abstract

Motorcycle customers are a dominant consumer group in developing countries or regions around the world. Although motorcyclist parking is very important to the management and operation of the mall, the issue is rarely concerned. The existing parking management systems are mostly used for vehicle delivery management. At the same time, if the traditional parking management system needs to be updated, the large-scale construction of the entrance and exit is usually required, which will increase the construction cost and affect customer satisfaction, leading to the overall profit loss of the mall. Therefore, this paper develops a new system, named Modular Counting Management System (MCMS), which utilizes CCD video and digital image processing (DIP) and counting algorithms for real-time monitoring without resetting the entrance device. The system can be implemented easily, provide sufficient monitoring management information to effectively improve the utilization rate of motorcycle parking areas and combine with other identification systems for the mall. This study has three main contributions: (1) A MCMS has been developed and deployed for a large shopping mall in Taiwan to improve the satisfaction of motorcyclists and increase profits; (2) The proposed MCMS provides adequate monitoring management information to effectively improve the usage rate of motorcycle parking areas; and (3) A survey of motorcyclist opinion showed an 82% satisfaction rate from a total of 479 effective samples and revenues increased 13.8% in the year following the implementation of this system. These have proven the system's contribution to practice and theory.