TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – New Taipei said Tuesday that it has accelerated construction of public and smart parking sites over the past eight years to address rising demand.
New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said the government has created 14,459 car spaces, 10,554 scooter spaces, and 314 smart parking venues to improve services. Hou added that the push is intended to modernize urban mobility as vehicle ownership increases.
Hou said the city has adopted a three-pronged strategy of supply, intelligent solutions, and service quality to serve Taiwan's most populous municipality. Hou added that the city has financed 27 projects under Taiwan’s Forward-looking Infrastructure Program totaling NT$20.64 billion (US$640 million), including NT$4.97 billion in central subsidies and NT$15.67 billion in local funding.
The city said 29 multi-story parking structures have been completed over the past eight years, with 12 more underway. Parking facilities to be completed by late this year include Banqiao District's Xinyi Elementary School, Yonghe District's Yongping Elementary School, and Luzhou District's new Changan and Yonglian Temple complex, per UDN.
Transportation Department Commissioner Chung Ming-shih (鍾鳴時) said new parking facilities are being equipped with different chargers to support electric vehicles, according to the department's press release. He added that there are safety features in place, including automatic power shutoff systems, customer service channels, and on-site thermal imaging and dousing systems to identify and put out fires.
Chung said the city has introduced license plate recognition, occupancy detection, smart vehicle search, and payment options across all smart parking sites. Chung added that for curbside parking, the city has added roadside sensors and geomagnetic detection, allowing drivers to locate available spaces using mobile apps.
Smart roadside parking uses a combination of magnetic, laser, and radar detection technologies, embedded in the asphalt or mounted on curbside poles. These devices are connected to an online cloud system, which relays real-time space availability to drivers using designated mobile applications.
The commissioner said that public parking lots now offer the first 30 minutes free citywide, while 120 facilities provide taxi drivers with up to two hours of free midday parking. He explained that this allows drivers to rest.
Chung said the city plans to improve curbside parking digital governance via a centralized monitoring center in Sanchong District. Chung added that the city plans to use AI and data analytics to integrate 30,000 roadside parking spaces to reduce carbon emissions from circling vehicles by 2027.
The transport commissioner said 424 public parking facilities joined this year’s evaluation, with 201 rated excellent and 22 receiving top honors. The commissioner added that this is to incentivize operators to improve overall service quality.
