As the saying goes, an anti-theft device is only as strong as the thief’s determination to break it – something most bike owners must know from painful experience. Bike theft would be completely erased with a new parking solution.
According to Spanish company Novatecnic, which specializes in urban equipment, one in five Spaniards have had their bikes stolen in the past five years. That, in addition to the fact that bikes, scooters and motorcycles crowd the streets and impede traffic, has become a real issue with riders who want to choose the more sustainable and cost-efficient variant for a daily driver.
Parking is and will probably remain an issue for some time, regardless of whether you’re driving a huge SUV, a tiny car, or ride a scooter or an e-bike. This is why Novatecnic proposes going underground. The Novality smart parking concept is just that: an underground parking that only comes up to the surface when the user needs it, and a first step towards the smart city of tomorrow.
Unveiled in mid-June, Novality is already getting local authorities interested in the possibility of applying it to their most crowded areas. It is entirely doable, Novatecnic says: the system is accessed through the app, which allows the rider to “summon” it to the surface. In the same app, the rider can check for availability and reserve a spot.
When it’s underground, the surface area is transitable, so it’s both functional and non-invasive to the existing urban landscape. Each system would include 10 parking spaces, wide enough for bikes, e-bikes, and small scooters. Novatecnic says the model could be adapted for larger sitting scooters and even motorcycles, and could include, at a later point in time, charging stations for all these.
For the time being, though, each cell has enough space for one bike and personal belongings, like a helmet or a backpack.
Marbella and Almeria from the Andalusian region are said to be looking into making Novality happen.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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