Intelligent parking has come to Hongqiao International Airport.
Drivers can pay a parking fee without even having to brake.
The P6 and P7 parking garages at the airport's T2 building opened the service with a trial operation yesterday to reduce potential congestion at entrances to the garages and make parking more convenient for drivers.
Drivers need to register their car plate number with an Alipay account, so that charges can be deducted automatically when they drive out, the airport authority said.
A car plate recognition system has been installed at the garages and it will send arrival and departing times of the drivers to the Alipay account.
An electronic receipt will then be sent to drivers via their mobile phones.
The service will be introduced to more parking areas at both terminal buildings of Hongqiao airport by the end of the month, according to the authority.
With the new service, a car can leave the garage exit within two seconds, compared with 10 seconds if using the manned booths to pay, said Zhao Zhihua, an official with the traffic management department at the airport.
The airport authority began renovating the parking garages last year. About 10 percent of drivers to the airport have begun using the new paying service during a two-week trial operation, Zhao said.
