Mobile app takes charge as driver's park

Q&A: Help is just a click or two away

How is mPark Helper easier than relying on the old text message method of recharging a parking pass? The app can save data, such as a driver's vehicle plate number as well as parking zones they tend to use. This allows a driver to reload the information more easily, rather than typing it out each time they park there within a text message.

Besides the mPark Helper, what other apps are there in the UAE? There is the UAE Parking app, which was developed by Kryptotel and costs US$0.99 (Dh3.63). It uses the geographical location of where a car is parked so that drivers do not have to fill in a "zone number" of the parking space.

How does it work? It lets drivers pay for parking via text message, with two "simple clicks", the company claims. It works in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Tech-savvy drivers in Dubai can now charge and recharge their parking pass using an app for their mobile.

The mPark Helper app, which was developed by a company called Prototype and does not cost motorists anything to use, allows drivers to charge or recharge a parking pass without having to go back to their vehicle or dig around for coins.

Previously, motorists relying on Dubai's Road & Transport Authority (RTA) mParking service could send a text message to take care of this tedious task. The problem, according to Prototype, was that people had to type in their vehicle's licence plate details together with the parking zone number and the requested parking time, each and every time they wanted to use the service.

"Since this can be quite cumbersome, especially if you don't know the zone number or forgot how to construct the messages, Prototype developed the mPark Helper application that assists users with the same [process]," the company says.

This app saves data so drivers can reload information more easily. Yet, it works only on mobiles with Windows Phone 7 software, such as new models from Nokia. It also functions only when used with Dubai's parking system, and not those from other emirates.

Apps associated with vehicles have been growing in popularity in recent years, although software developers have been relatively slow to find local solutions for the UAE.

In North America, the Taxi Magic app for the iPhone provide people with a "tap-to-call" feature for cab fleets in more than 4,000 cities. It also offers online taxi booking, so there is no need to speak with anyone over the phone.

New York City, of course, is famous for its vast network of taxi services - for better or for worse. In July, one man born and raised in Manhattan launched the Report A Taxi app so passengers could either commend or condemn their cabbie.

Top 5: “On the go” apps for iPhone

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2 Yelp (restaurant reviews)

3 Word Lens (translator)

4 Weather Channel (climate check)

5 OpenTable (restaurant bookings

Source: Time

The Quote: Having lived in cities all my life, the one achievement that everyone can look forward to is getting the perfect parking spot. - Saul Perlmutter, an astrophysicist who won a Nobel Prize this year

nparmar@thenational.ae

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