Have We Helped Solved Parking’s Biggest Problem?
A new way to see parking
What if cities could help drivers find an available parking space? If they had a smart way to help drivers find parking, reduce endless circling and ease congestion? At PayByPhone, our purpose has always been to simplify journeys, not just the moment you pay for parking. We now want to take that further by tackling one of the biggest challenges of cities, and those who drive in them face every day: the search for available parking.
A new way to see parking
In partnership with smart-city technology company Upciti, we’ve launched a new parking availability feature that helps drivers see, in real time, where available parking is. The feature uses a simple, color-coded map to guide drivers.
- Blue - higher chances of finding an available spot
- Yellow - moderate chances of finding an available spot
- Red - lower chances of finding an available spot
These live indicators update every 30 seconds and appear directly within the PayByPhone app, providing drivers with a frictionless experience that lets them go from finding to paying for parking, in just a few taps.
Innovation in action
First launched in the Batignolles area of Paris’s 17th arrondissement, one of the city’s most dynamic and complex neighborhoods for drivers, the feature - called TrouveMaPlace (FindMySpace) in France - is powered by real-time data from Upciti’s AI sensors that analyze curbside activity and share anonymous, aggregated insights. This innovation is enabling PayByPhone to show how responsible, privacy-first technology can deliver practical, citizen focused solutions - helping local authorities reduce unnecessary traffic, emissions, and congestion, while allowing drivers to park more easily.
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Delivering results that matter
In the first two weeks after launching in Paris, nearly 24,000 drivers used TrouveMaPlace to plan ahead and to park more efficiently. 25% of users parked more than 15min after using TrouveMaPlace, and within 24 hours. And this is just a small corner of Paris - imagine the impact across an entire city. For cities, this technology has phenomenal benefits: helping to reduce unnecessary driving in search of parking, easing traffic flow, and contributing to less congested streets. For drivers, the result is finding a parking spot faster. Together, these changes can make a meaningful difference to how cities move toward smarter, more sustainable mobility.
Looking ahead
Paris is only the beginning. We are exploring opportunities to bring this technology to cities and towns in all the countries in which we operate, working alongside forward-thinking public authorities who want to make parking simpler, traffic smoother, and mobility more sustainable. We believe real innovation happens through collaboration - when public authorities, technology partners, and mobility experts come together to make everyday life a little simpler. TrouveMaPlace is just one example of how PayByPhone is reimagining the future of mobility and helping cities build a simpler, smarter, more connected mobility ecosystem.