Parking Operators Begin Using AI, Vehicle Security Becomes Priority
Jakarta — Technology is gradually transforming the face of Indonesia’s parking industry. Whereas parking management was once synonymous with attendants manually recording vehicle registration numbers and issuing paper tickets, the system is now evolving towards complete digitalisation. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being deployed to enhance vehicle security whilst improving operational efficiency.
Rustam Rachmat, President Director of PT Securindo Packatama Indonesia (Secure Parking), explained that technological transformation in the parking industry has not occurred instantaneously. The change has proceeded through a lengthy evolutionary process spanning from the manual era to today’s AI-based automated systems.
“Initially it was manual. Subsequently, we recognised that the system could be computerised. In Indonesia, we may have been among the first to implement computerised parking systems in the early 1990s,” Rustam said during an interview at his office in Mangga Besar, Jakarta, on Monday (9 March 2026).
The system subsequently began printing parking tickets with data corresponding to vehicle registration numbers. “At each booth, an attendant would type the licence plate number. The exit ticket and licence plate had to match. This represented the second generation evolution of parking systems,” he explained.
As demand for speed and user convenience increased, the system continued to evolve. Drivers no longer needed to stop for extended periods at parking booths to collect tickets. “In the next generation, people could collect their ticket upfront, so they did not need to stop for long at the booth. As soon as they reached the booth, the vehicle was already registered. The objective was to enable faster entry and faster exit,” he noted.
Parking technology advancement became particularly evident when automatic barrier systems, or boom gates, began to be introduced in the late 1990s. “Around 1996 or 1997, we began introducing boom gates, which are automatic barrier doors. This system made the process of vehicle entry and exit considerably faster,” Rustam said.
Since then, parking technology has continued to develop, now entering the fifth generation, which is currently being implemented at several locations.
In the latest system, entry and exit booths can operate without field personnel. All processes are carried out automatically with the assistance of sensors, cameras, and vehicle licence plate recognition systems.
Despite the majority of processes now operating automatically, Rustam emphasised that humans continue to play a crucial role in system management.