Parking will never be the same – New demands from commuters emerging from lockdown, the desire to have a hybrid of office and home working and the acceleration in the adoption of digital technology have changed the car park game forever.

Australia’s leading provider of off-street parking, Wilson Parking, says the landscape for commercial parking has altered significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020.

Lockdowns kept workers away from their offices, especially in the CBDs of Melbourne and Sydney, where, according to Property Council figures, CBD office occupancy in October 2021 was just 4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively.

Office occupancy in the CBDs of all the capital cities – even in Perth and Adelaide, which were less exposed to lockdowns – has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, which is reflected in parking statistics.

Also, across the nation, flexible working between home and the office has shifted from being an occasional exception to an accepted part of corporate life. With Eighty per cent of employers believing that working from home will stay, the flexible working model has also affected demand for parking.

Consequently, parking providers have had to rethink the products and services they offer to cater for the new way that people work, shop and play. And while people adjust to their new flexible working arrangements, parking shouldn’t be overlooked as one of the levers to attract office workers back into the CBD, according to CEO of Wilson Parking Stephan Wuffli.

“Some key trends have emerged in the parking sector that are direct responses to pandemic control measures, which continues to have a lasting impact across every state,” says Wuffli.

“People are changing the way they commute, how they plan their trip, and how they pay for it. Commuters want parking that is easy, clean and convenient, and employers want flexible parking options to suit their new work practices. At Wilson Parking, we’re focusing on providing technology and incentives that fulfil those needs and which help entice commuters into the city.”

Wilson Parking’s car park occupancy statistics show that office workers now prefer to spend three days in the office; they are seeking more casual commuter parking instead of permanent parking; and they are making more online bookings for parking.