Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Solar
"Intelligent" solar parking meters in Eastbourne in East Sussex, UK
Watch out for the new "supermeters" which are being installed in Eastbourne in East Sussex, UK. These meters can phone home when they detect that somebody is trying to damage one or if they sense that they need servicing. Perhaps most importantly for the safety of the meter are the calls home to be emptied of their cash. Sure, all of those features are good for the meter's own safety, but why are they here on AutoblogGreen? That would be because they are solar powered. Why not? The meters sit outside all day anyway, so they might as well be collecting the energy that the sun is giving off. Solar power plus cellular calling also makes the machine wireless, which allows them to be placed wherever necessary and cuts down on unsightly and not-so-environmentally friendly cables.
[Source: Eastbourne Herald via Engadget]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
steven 5:27PM (10/09/2007)
These look more like a parking pay system that give you a little paper ticket to put on your dash after your walk over from your parking spot to put in cash/credit. Don't forget to walk all the way back across the lot to your car. "But officer, here is my payment stub and my time/date stamped receipt. See the times? Well within the time frame when you wrote my parking ticket" Case dismissed! We had them in Annaplois and they were all removed a short time later and the parking meters all returned. Pain the the a$$, they were. Another system I bet where the vendor gets a large cut of the revenues. Talk about "unsightly" I can see why they have a bag over it already!
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soul7963 4:57AM (10/10/2007)
I have had these at my local train station (Huntingdon) for about 3 weeks now. They have had to post instructions for people wanting to buy a ticket.
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Dave 12:46PM (10/10/2007)
That is how all the parking is handled in the UK. I lived there for about 6 months. The key is that the UK has the infastucture for Mass-Transit (trains, subway and buses), reducing the need for tons of parking. Its just like parking at the airport, you get a ticket, expect here you pay first.
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