Have you ever wondered about how much time you must have wasted looking for parking space? According to reports, drivers spend an average total of nearly four days every year in the U.K looking for a parking spot; in France, an average of around 30 minutes during every outing. Reports have also revealed that 30% of traffic in Paris is due to drivers looking for a place to park their vehicle!
However, your parking woes may soon come to an end, thanks to an innovative mobile application developed by a startup incubated by SKEMA Ventures and founded by Sami Benali, a student of the MSc Entrepreneurship & Innovation at SKEMA Business School. Sami, along with his teammates Julien, Margaux, and David, is working on a mobile application — Switch — that can help people find a parking space in merely three clicks. The solution involves facilitating an exchange of public parking places between people. This is done by putting those looking for a place to park in touch those who are vacating their spot and guiding the former to the correct location.
The process
Users can choose from one of the two options: 1) Looking for a parking space or 2) Vacating a spot.
Here’s the process that users looking for parking space need to follow:
- Set the radius of the search
- Set the maximum amount you are willing to pay the user who is vacating his / her parking spot
- An automatic match connects you to the user
For those vacating their parking space:
- Specify your departure time
- Mention the amount you would like to charge
- An automatic match connects you to the user looking for a parking spot
Not only will the app help you save time, but also contribute to reducing fuel expenses and CO2 emissions. To ensure that users find the right person, they are notified about the color of the other car and the last 3 digits/letters of the number plate.
The Switch team has started a crowdfunding campaign to gather funds that would enable them to implement their application successfully. If you’re interested in their idea and would like to put an end to wasting time looking for a parking spot whenever you go out, you can contribute to their campaign by visiting https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/switch-trouvez-une-place-de-stationnement-en-3-clics/tabs/rewards. You can also contact the team via email at switchapp@outlook.fr