Parking payments Easing the parking pain Innovation is key if you dont want to get left behind in the parking payments field. Louise Parfitt talks to JustParks founder and CEO, Anthony Eskinazi, about the changing environment following a disruptive few years fter more than 15 years, have I actually got rid of the problem that I set out to solve when I first started this business? Anthony Eskinazi set up JustPark 16 years ago, to help drivers in their hour of need, because finding parking can be stressful, it induces anxiety; so often its a negative talking point. JustPark was created to enable drivers to reserve parking ahead of going to a concert, a football match or the airport. It then developed into paying for parking once a driver was already parked in a space. But, says Eskinazi, I got to thinking, is it enough? He is referring to those times when you dont think about the parking until you arrive at your destination: You start that dance where you are circling around the block searching for a space, waiting for someone to move, or you are trying to navigate through an unfamiliar town looking for parking signs its peak parking anxiety. We realised that we could offer a slimmed-down version of the JustPark app accessed easily through in-car navigation systems and mobiles that will direct drivers to the spaces closest to their current location when they are in their car and looking for a space. For our partners the landlords and operators with whom we work, such as Q-Park, APCOA, and anyone else who lists their inventory with JustPark it helps with the discoverability of their car parks. I wonder what Eskinazi thinks of the results of Parkopedias recent global survey that showed 92 per cent of respondents had an issue with A Have I actually got rid of the problem that I set out to solve when I first started this business? 28 finding parking. Maybe parking has become more of a problem postCovid because peoples daily routines and parking behaviours have changed the world has changed so is parking now about finding the right space in the right locations? Slowburners, fast movers When I spoke to Eskinazi in 2021, the effects of the pandemic on JustPark and its staff were clearly weighing on his mind. Sure, the company is fleet-footed enough to seize opportunities to solve challenges it helped one oversubscribed seafront car park to manage its estate through a bespoke booking service during the post-lockdown periods, when people flocked to the seaside in their thousands but the usual spark had definitely dimmed. Now, talking about this new launch, he seems more relaxed, more focused, and much happier. Were not immune to the state of the economy, we have to be careful, he acknowledges. Well aware of the current cost-of-living crisis, the company has launched a marketing campaign in the London area to encourage people with a driveway to use it to bring in additional income. If you have a driveway at home, its an asset: think about using it! Then, when people sign up, they see more of our other parking inventory and how it works. Ultimately, if its raising awareness of JustPark, its raising awareness of everyone associated with us. There have been some slowburners: JustCharge was set up to help fleet drivers find and reserve overnight electric vehicle (EV) charging close to their home. Eskinazi says it has been affected by the wider market conditions high energy prices, and the pandemic affecting production of components for EVs. Its going OK, but its not scaling yet. But thats primarily down to the macroeconomic situation more than anything, he adds.