Sensors which can alert motorists to empty parking bays are being trialled in Britain for the first time, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
"This has potential for the whole country. We're piloting the first system of its kind in the Europe from this Wednesday. Smart sensors are being installed in parking bays for the first time on-street in the UK," a spokesman for Westminster City Council was quoted as saying by the paper.
"It will reduce congestion and minimise the need for motorists to endlessly trawl the streets searching for somewhere to park," the spokesperson said.
Westminster City Council along with car-park firm 'Town and City Parking Ltd' are piloting this system here.
The small glass-domed sensors are embedded in the centre of each bay and can tell when a car is present, absent, or has over-stayed its allotted time.
Details of empty bays will be collected centrally and sent via mobile phone and wi-fi to motorists on their phones, who can then drive to the vacant space.
Drivers have to pay for to park over the phone. Once fully operational, that the system will also send special alerts to drivers when their paid-for time is getting over.
If a driver overstays the allotted parking time, the sensors will send a signal to the parking authorities who will send around a warden to issue a penalty ticket to the motorist.
The new system is in use in San Francisco and is being tried in London which charges up to 4.40 British pound (almost USD 7) an hour for on-street parking.
If successful the sensors could be rolled out across the capital and to other cities including Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The council will link the information to the 'Parkopedia' website - which provides the application or 'app' - which already gives a host of updated information on parking.
