As the state government’s promise of providing hi-tech parking facilities in the Central Business District of Bengaluru remains unfulfilled since 2013, it’s no surprise that cars are parked on pavements, bus bays, and even roads in the commercial areas of the city.
In 2015, close to one-third of the registered traffic offences in the city were parking violations.
Parking is now such a daunting task, that people are often forced to change their plans for fear of not getting a place to a park.
Facing the same issue, two brothers – Arjun and Balram Jairaj, had an idea to counter the challenge.
The idea was to use unutilised private space of parking, allowing owners to get some revenue from their idle assets. The created a virtual marketplace of parking space providers as well as drivers.
Real-Time App
The idea translated into an app when the two brothers met technologist John Seemon through one of their mutual friends and they collaborated to make Plonk in early 2015. The app was made available for users on January 27.
Plonk is a real-time parking app which users can download on their phones and with the help of Google Maps, one can find the nearest Plonk registered parking space along with the rates and user feedback from previous users of the facility.Balram Jairaj, App Developer
We want Plonk to be a community of car owners and space providers so that parking becomes an ancillary to people’s plans.Arjun Jairaj, App Developer
Parking slots can’t be pre-booked by users. However, owners listing out space have to pre-list the spaces mentioning the time frame and the capacity of their lot.
Once an owner lists their space, the Plonk team does a field check and sticks QR codes on the entry and exit points which serve as a modern day register.
“We respond to listing requests within a day’s time and give the owners choice of both cash and cashless payment methods,” said Arjun.
“We give the owners complete freedom on pricing and timing,” said Balaram.
The app is available on iOS and Android.
When a user makes a decision to park in a Plonk listed spot, they scan the QR code with their smartphones and pay with the integrated Paytm wallet for cashless transactions or cash if there is a person manning the space. The availability of a parking space is reflected in real time on the app.
The app currently operates in the Central Business District of Bengaluru.
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