MINI teams up with JustPark to make parking easier
MINI has just launched a new app called JustPark allowing users in the U.K. to reserve a parking spot directly from their dashboard.
MINI has just launched a new app called JustPark allowing users in the U.K. to reserve a parking spot directly from their dashboard.
A 2013 survey found that for 45% of UK motorists, parking was their biggest headache and that although the average time taken to find a space at the end of a journey clocks in at six minutes and 45 seconds, when it comes to parking in London, this time rockets to 20 minutes.
JustPark has been attempting to solve this problem for over 10 years. Initially launched as a web browser-based service called ParkAtMyHouse, the service allowed people to rent out their parking spaces to needy motorists.
Over the years the business has grown and grown, jumping from the desktop to the smartphone and now on to the new Mini’s dashboard.
Mini’s parent company, BMW, has been working closely with JustPark for three years to ensure that the resulting service is fully integrated into the Mini’s own Connected platform and that it works in a way that ensures it is simple to use but, crucially, isn’t distracting to the driver.
Owners of new Minis in the UK will have access to over 100,000 parking spaces at their fingertips and once selected, the car’s own navigation system will be able to guide them safely to the chosen spot.
The app also allows drivers to search for spaces while on the go — to see what’s available in the immediate area, check prices and even read reviews left by other users.
But if you’re not a Mini driver, help is still at hand. JustPark can be downloaded as a standalone iPhone app or accessed via the web in the UK.
As for the future, once enough spaces have been added, the app will soon be rolling out to other countries via Mini dashboards.