A central London borough has launched infra-red parking sensors to help drivers find spaces faster and slash congestion.

Westminster City Council has today switched on parking sensors in 3,000 bays across London’s West End, while launching an improved ParkRight app that can direct users to available spots.

The infra-red SmartEye will detect whether a vehicle is parked in the bay and send that information to the ParkRight tool. A red, amber and green system will provide a real-time map of available parking.

If successful, a further 7,0000 sensors could be rolled out across the rest of Westminster – making it the first region to roll out this technology across its entire road network.

‘Parking bay sensors are a simple concept and, together with the ParkRight app, they will deliver major benefits for people who need to use a car in Westminster - whether visiting, working or living here,’ said Cllr Heather Acton, Westminster City Council cabinet member for parking and sustainability.

‘Making it easier to find a parking space, and reducing congestion in the process, the sensors are a key investment in Westminster’s commitment to provide “fair, easy and safe parking”.’

Paul Gillespie, Smart Parking’s Group chief executive officer, said: ‘We’re extremely pleased to have been chosen to deploy SmartPark across Westminster. The city is one of the world’s busiest and most important conurbations, and SmartPark will play a key role in helping its roads and parking spaces operate more efficiently.

‘It delivers proven benefits for both drivers and local authorities, and we’re confident that residents, businesses and visitors to Westminster will have their driving and parking experience transformed in the months and years ahead.’

Eugene Tsyrklevich, Parkopedia CEO added: ‘Parkopedia began working with Westminster City Council back in 2010. The initial idea was to provide as much parking information as possible in order to help alleviate congestion, reduce driver stress when looking for parking and to generally provide a clearer picture of the parking situation in Westminster.

'Fast forward to 2014 and this partnership has resulted in the award winning Parkright App, which now also includes all important on street real time parking availability details.’