Easier Parking, More Convenient Payments: HL Showcases a New Era of Smart City Living
(中央社訊息服務20250416 10:34:15)To promote smart city development and sustainable transportation, the Hualien County Government held a press conference on April 14 to present the results of its smart parking system and introduce the latest applications. This event marked a step forward toward building a more intelligent and convenient lifestyle for residents. Hualien County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei stated that smart transportation is a key component in achieving sustainable development. The county government continues to harness technology to enhance transportation infrastructure and improve parking convenience, shaping a smart and livable Hualien.
Mayor Hsu noted that the county government is actively introducing smart management systems that integrate AI technology and big data applications. This not only promotes intelligent governance but also reflects Hualien’s determination to recover from past disasters and evolve into a resilient city. She expressed gratitude to Guoyun Property Management Co., which has supported the operation of local parking facilities since 2010, helping realize the vision of fully digitized parking in the county and setting a model for public-private collaboration. Moving forward, the county government will continue fostering such partnerships with businesses and non-profit organizations across Taiwan to create a better Hualien together.
Hsu pointed out that Hualien currently has three smart parking pilot zones, with a total of 201 smart parking posts installed on Zhongshan Road, Ziyou Street, and Nanbin Road—all located in downtown Hualien. These allow residents to experience smart sensor-based ticketing and multiple electronic payment options, along with a 10-minute free parking grace period. Since the launch of the smart parking posts in 2023, electronic payments have accounted for 76% of all transactions and are steadily increasing, showing a clear trend toward smart parking habits among the public.
Starting May 1, 2025, an additional 1,429 magnet-based smart roadside parking sensors will be activated. Together with the existing smart zones, Hualien City will offer a total of 1,630 smart parking spaces, greatly expanding the reach of smart parking and enhancing the convenience of urban mobility.
According to the Department of Construction, five outsourced off-street parking lots (Shangzhi Bridge, Shangxiao Street, Fuyu, Dongli, and Front Station) offer 310 spaces, with an average occupancy rate of 58% since their gradual opening in 2023. Currently, 32.4% of users opt for electronic payments. These lots also provide four major benefits to the public:
Free parking for under 30 minutes,
Automatic three-hour discounts for Hualien residents with disabilities,
A 20% discount on monthly passes for residents of nearby neighborhoods,
Charging stations available at all lots (except Dongli).
There are 13 types of electronic payment options available, including the nation’s only support for Apple Pay, as well as LINE Pay, JKOPay, PX Pay+, Easy Wallet, Taiwan Pay, Pi Wallet, GAMA Pay, icash Pay, CarPlus, O’Pay, QCar Cloud, and Far EasTone’s eTag. This variety of smart, user-friendly payment methods saves residents valuable time.
The Front Station parking lot also features temporary parking discounts, neighborhood-friendly incentives, and public benefit offers. To encourage the use of public transport, drivers who use EasyCard (with other cards to be supported soon) to transfer to TRA trains, highway buses, or city buses during their parking session—and have transaction records—can enjoy NT$10 off per parking session (same-day only) or receive up to a 10% discount on monthly passes depending on the number of transfer days, with the discount applied the following month.
Smart parking brings both convenience and savings—residents are encouraged to take full advantage and enjoy the benefits of smart transportation in Hualien.
