Rotterdam, September 24, 2015 - Interparking, operator of parking garages, was presented with the European Parking Award in Berlin for the underground car park at Markthal in Rotterdam.
The car park, which opened one year ago next month and recently welcomed its millionth visitor, distinguishes itself by its location in the middle of the bustling city centre, near popular destinations such as the shopping area ‘de Koopgoot’. The Markhal car park also offers Eco Parking, a discount for environmentally-friendly vehicles.
Interparking won the European Parking Award in the category New parking structures, in which category Q-Park and Platanos Square Parking were also nominated alongside Interparking. The jury assessed the parking garages on location, ease of use, quality and safety, amongst others. The European Parking Awards are presented every two years, at the conference of the European Parking Association.
New showpiece in Rotterdam
“This award confirms it again: The car park under the Markthal is an international showpiece in Rotterdam,” says Johan Toll, director at Interparking. He is convinced that garages such as the one under the Markthal will become even more popular in the future. “Rotterdam is a developing city and is becoming increasingly popular. There is a growing influx of tourists in Rotterdam and we want to welcome them in a hospitable manner. The city is nothing without modern, customer-friendly parking facilities such as this one. The garage under the Markthal is a new showpiece in Rotterdam,” says Toll.
Eco Parking
The trend of clustering activities in large cities, with the ensuing environmental pollution, did not go unnoticed at Interparking. To limit CO2 emissions and promote environmentally-friendly cars, Interparking introduced Eco Parking, a first in Europe. “Drivers who park their vehicle in the Markthal underground car park, can profit from the Eco Parking rate. Electric vehicles and vehicles with an energy label A can be identified via LPR and automatically qualify for a parking discount of 0.20 cents per hour,” says Toll on the sustainable service of his winning parking garage.
About the car park
The Markthal underground car park in Rotterdam has almost 1200 spaces and is equipped with the most modern techniques, including LED lighting and LPR. The parking guidance system helps visitors find the quickest route to an empty space and the ventilation system is the most powerful of its kind. The garage has 12 charging stations for electric vehicles. In addition, not only visitors, but also suppliers and staff of the Market Hall can make use of the garage.
Interparking wants to make parking as pleasant as possible. Drivers with an online reservation, for example, are guaranteed a parking space and parking becomes extra cost-effective with packages such as Hotel Parking, Dinner Parking and Day Trip Parking.
