Revenue generation No pain, more gain A smart parking system designed on the principles of being touch free has taken on new significance during the Covid-19 pandemic, as Patrick Dillon explains s the UK starts to emerge from months of lockdown restrictions, the country finds itself in something of a quandary. The economy needs a huge boost, but restrictions on movement are still in place. Go out, but stay in; go to the shops, but only if you have to; schools arent open, but pubs are. Amid the confusion, Hozahs Zero Touch Payments solution addresses one of the pandemics key points of concern touching things and could help with another, namely jumpstarting the UKs struggling retail sector. Statistics show that use of Zero Touch Payments in car parks equates to higher compliance and longer lengths of stay crucially, leading to higher revenue generation for the local economy. Visitors to Hozah car parks stay, on average, for 30 minutes longer than they would at typical pay and display and mobile-payment operated car parks; thats 30 extra minutes at the shops, spending money, keeping local businesses afloat. The A Zero Touch Payments Hozahs focus over the past four years has been on perfecting the ability to facilitate touchless parking, and its flagship Zero Touch Payments service was trademarked in November 2019. Fast forward three months, and Zero Touch Payments took on an entirely new meaning. Councils, hospitals and operators all over the UK have leant on Zero Touch during this time, and were delighted to be in a position to heed the call, says Hozah co-founder Naomi Bishop. ABOVE: How Hozahs innovative Zero Touch Payments works implementation of a scheme such as Hozah provides a welcome economic leg-up to establishments that are the beating heart of a community. It also demonstrates the ability of local authorities and landlords/operators to adapt positively when crisis strikes. In these difficult times, it is vitally important that truly touchless systems are available, says Paul Bowman, Coventry City Councils parking services manager. Hozah offers drivers a safe and efficient way to pay and, at the same time, it leads to higher revenue generation for our local economy. Croydon Council is also seeing a positive spike in user satisfaction. The uptake from drivers has exceeded our expectations and the feedback weve had, particularly around how easy the system is to use, has pleased all stakeholders within the council, says Croydons new business and projects Drivers have a safe, efficient way to pay and, at the same time, it leads to higher revenue generation for the local economy manager, Frede Jensen. We believe that offering customers the ability to automatically pay for their parking, without any manual action, has led to improved compliance. Parking revenue has improved in Hozah-enabled places. Oxford City Councils assistant parking manager Casper Morris agrees: We have found Hozah to be cost-effective and reliable, and the driver feedback has been excellent. Additional benefits Hozah offers a suite of digital solutions that tackle the most difficult-to-achieve car park rules. For example, multiple charge structures can be provided within Hozah-enabled NHS visitor and staff car parks, ensuring that once registered those in greatest need can be offered concessionary or free parking. We have transitioned from pioneering zero touch from a drivers point of view to becoming an essential local authority and operator solution, post-Covid, says Naomi Bishop, Hozah co-founder. They see that were in the business of generating revenue for them. Its a clear choice that benefits all parties. britishparking.co.uk 29 PN Aug20 pp28-29 HOZAH.indd 29 23/07/2020 10:04