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It’s a question that has divided opinion for as long as cars have been on the road – who’s best at parking: boys or girls?
Now men and women are taking to Facebook to settle the argument once and for all, in an online game that challenges players to park a car in a space using their computer cursor keys, without crashing into other cars or obstacles.
The game, which can be played at www.facebook.com/Parkshare, was launched by the creator of ParkShare, an online community which aims to connect people with empty driveways or garages and commuters who need to park a car, but would rather not use an expensive car park.
Homeowners can advertise their parking space, which can be rented by a commuter. Registration at www.ParkShare.net is free for both homeowners and drivers – and ParkShare only takes its flat 10 percent commission when a financial deal is struck.
And the web developer behind the website – which reckons homeowners can earn up to £300 a month, while drivers could save 50 percent in parking fees – hopes many people will come to reciprocal arrangements, through its unique Community Listing scheme.
“I’d like to see a commuter cutting the grass or clearing the gutters of an elderly homeowner in exchange for a parking space, even if it means I don’t earn commission from the deal,” says community-minded founder Martin Houlden.
Mr Houlden, a web designer and former councillor in the Wiltshire market town of Marlborough, devised the “breathtakingly simple” idea after complaints from his constituents about workers clogging the streets with their vehicles to avoid car parking charges.
“A lot of people who live in the town actually work away from home, leaving driveways, garages and allocated parking spaces empty all day. Meanwhile, there are a lot of office and retail workers who drive into town and need somewhere to park.
“It occurred to me that an online facility to bring these people together would reduce the congestion caused by on-street parking, save commuters money, and put a little cash into the pockets of homeowners,” he said.
Two years later the market town trial has been rolled out to cover the whole of the UK, as well as the US, Canada, Germany and France, while iPhone owners can even find a parking space on the go – thanks to a free-to-download App.
The enhanced geo-location search facility enables drivers to find ParkShare registered parking spaces in their locality in realtime.
“The cost of parking your car is getting more and more expensive. UK drivers are now paying a whopping £8bn a year just to park. ParkShare creates a win-win situation for drivers and homeowners,” said Mr Houlden.