As of June 2020, the Kur- und Kongreß-GmbH has been a partner of evopark. The car park operator based in the German city of Bad Homburg has connected a total of seven car parks to mobility CONNECT, two more facilities will follow shortly. Why Kur- und Kongreß-GmbH decided in favour of the new parking service and which outlook he has for digital parking, Peter Obrist, Head of Parking + Security, explains in this interview.
Please briefly describe your company.
The municipal company Kur- und Kongreß-GmbH with its various subsidiaries is responsible for diverse areas within the spa town. Ranging from the care and management of historic buildings and facilities, the operation of the François-Blanc-Spielbank, the renowned Dr. Baumstark rehabilitation clinic, the staging of cultural events, the operation of the Congress Centre to the operation of multi-storey car parks – the Kur- und Kongreß-GmbH is an innovative and at the same time tradition-conscious company. With its excellent accessibility at the outskirts of Frankfurt and on the edge of the Taunus mountains, the spa town also enjoys a high international reputation among spa guests, business people and visitors.
What are your responsibilities at the Kur- und Kongreß-GmbH?
As Head of Property Management and Parking + Security, I am responsible for the smooth operation of a total of eight car parks. With a team of 8, we manage the car parks centrally from our service control centre 365 days a year. We also offer comprehensive customer service to long-term parkers. Together with a third-party service provider, we are also responsible for security in Bad Homburg’s own properties and the city’s Kurpark.
When did you get to know evopark?
We first met evopark at the Parken Messe 2017 in Karlsruhe. Recently, we have equipped all our car parks with the mobility CONNECT functionality.
What opportunities do you think digital solutions offer for parking?
The future will be digital: moving away from paper tickets and pay stations to parking via smartphone and app. However, the “classic business” will certainly remain with us for the next few years, because the older population in particular still likes to use cash when parking. We don’t want to leave them behind.
How do you face the trends “Connected Mobility” and “Urban Mobility”?
The city of Bad Homburg recently launched a digitisation offensive and will develop into a “smart city” over the next five years. As a car park operator, we are heavily involved in this. We are currently planning a city app that will integrate parking in our garages. The goal is to use the app to park in our garages without having to take out a parking ticket. We are currently in the development and pilot phase.
On a global scale, how can off-street parking remain a relevant mobility component in the future?
The aim should be to make our city centres more liveable and to further reduce parking space on the streets in order to make more room for other forms of transport such as bicycles and buses. This will considerably increase the quality of life in the city centres. For this purpose, car parking garages are needed, because individual transport by car will continue to play an important role in the future.
What are your plans to set trends for digital parking in Germany together with evopark?
With mobility CONNECT, we can offer a simple and convenient product – especially to out-of-town parking customers. We believe that this digital solution will significantly improve the service for our customers. In the next step, we will also consider further innovations, provided they offer added value to users.
Thank you very much for the interview!
You’re welcome.