Not always, but that’s the case of the partnership between Parking Panda and popular city-to-city express bus company, Megabus. Parking Panda, the online booking engine and app that allows travelers to find and reserve on-demand parking, will provide customers traveling on Megabus the option to reserve parking at surrounding locations within walking distance of select bus stops nationwide. Parking Panda will also offer customers the ability to compare real-time pricing for a multitude of lots in each city center, allowing customers to save up to 70 pecent on parking. In addition to being cost-efficient, this partnership gives customers the ability to plan ahead when making arrangements for their trip. Baltimore-based Parking Panda is available in more than 40 cities and has faced competition from apps like SpotHero and ParkWhiz. However, part of the company’s defining feature and strategy has been to partner with various professional sports leagues, stadiums, and family attractions to help users find parking near the event. Megabus.com customers can now find and pre-purchase parking for bus stops in over 20 cities nationwide, with more to be added throughout the year. The struggle to find parking in urban centers is a real issue. According to the International Parking Institute (IPI), 60 percent of the world will live in cities by 2030, and it estimates that the number of vehicles on the roads will tally 284 million, up from 253 million today. When 30 percent of a city’s traffic is attributable to people hunting for parking, something to ease the road rage sounds pretty good to me. Image Credit: Chris Perriman on Flickr
