Parking in loading and unloading areas made easier with the SPRO app
SPRO is a new free mobile app for professionals working in the urban distribution of goods (DUM) to be able to park in loading and unloading spaces in the city and the metropolitan area. The purpose of the app is to unify and improve the way this type of parking is managed. The app will initially be for use in Barcelona, Badalona, Castelldefels, Esplugues de Llobregat, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí and Sant Just Desvern, with the rest of the municipalities in the metropolitan area to be added soon.
SPRO substitutes the former areaDUM app in Barcelona, which was previously used to manage parking in loading and unloading spaces in the city.
How does it work and what does it offer?
Users simply need to select the area and enter the DUM code for the zone. The codes can be found on street signs and once entered they entitle the user to 30 minutes of free parking. In Barcelona, vehicles classified as zero emissions get 30 additional minutes.
There is also now the possibility of getting personalised alerts and notifications when regulated parking time is close to expiring.
SPRO also enables users to locate DUM places easily thanks to a geolocation system, and to check the expected occupancy and regulated hours for each zone. It’s also possible to check all the parking operations and data for each vehicle, whether the parking is for personal use of in relation to a business account.
The app includes a system to forecast the availability of free regulated spaces in Barcelona, helping users to find a specific place for loading and unloading. By introducing the destination and expected time of arrival, the app displays an availability forecast: areas with plenty of available spaces are in green, while areas with average availability are in amber and those with very limited availability are in red. Zones where no forecast data are available are marked in grey.
How do users get started?
New users simply need to fill in a form on the app itself or on the website barcelona.cat/SPRO.
Users already registered with the former areaDUM app can start the session with the same password. SPRO also offers the possibility of creating a company account which can have various users, providing the administrator authorises the necessary access. In this case, registration should be via the website mentioned.
SPRO users in Barcelona will be able to use the new parking meters if they have an issue with their phone or the app which prevents them from recording their parking correctly.
Urban distribution of goods
The urban distribution of goods represents a significant volume of the city’s daily traffic. The pandemic has seen loading and unloading activity increase, as more consumers and shops order items to be delivered. The solution for delivery companies is for loading and unloading spaces to be available in public space and regulated by municipal by-laws. Barcelona currently has 9,575 such parking places. Between them, the other six metropolitan municipalities have 1,960 DUM places. The app should initially manage 10,460 places in total.
The goals for the regulation of spaces are to:
- Increase the availability of DUM spaces through greater rotation.
- Adapt parking time and hours to the real needs of different professionals.
- Optimise the use of public space.
- Reduce undisciplined parking in loading/unloading spaces and help prevent and combat fraudulent use.
- Establish advanced and flexible mobility policies which respond to all sectors and users and foster the compatible use of public space.
- Strengthen mobility policies designed to improve air quality and reduce noise in the municipality by providing professionals with forecasts on the occupancy of areas.
