Berlin Unveils Ticketless Parking Pilot with APCOA and MILES to Cut City Center Congestion
APCOA, Europe’s leading parking operator, and car sharing provider MILES have launched a groundbreaking ticketless parking pilot in Berlin that is already live as of April 1. This innovative cooperation aims to ease severe parking pressures in congested inner-city areas by allowing customers to park without physical tickets or manual payment processes, marking a major shift in urban mobility management.
The pilot project currently runs in three APCOA-managed car parks located in key Berlin neighborhoods: the Kant Center and Augsburger Straße in Charlottenburg, plus the Victoria Center at Ostkreuz station. Customers using MILES car-sharing vehicles can effortlessly start and end their parking sessions digitally through automatic license plate recognition technology, completely eliminating the hassle of paper tickets or queues at payment machines.
Instant Impact: Faster Parking, Less Traffic, Cleaner Air
This seamless digital integration not only saves drivers time but also promises to significantly reduce traffic congestion caused by drivers hunting for scarce street parking. By directing shared vehicles into multi-storey car parks, the initiative helps lessen “search traffic” — a major contributor to urban air pollution and gridlock in popular city districts. According to Stefanie Kochs, Head of Urban Hubs at APCOA Germany, “The cooperation with MILES is another building block in improving the parking situation in urban city centres,” offering “less stress, more comfort, and more time gained during the parking process.”
Peter Kormany, Project Manager Business Development at MILES, emphasized the project’s goal: “To integrate car sharing into everyday life as easily and flexibly as possible. By connecting APCOA’s multi-storey car parks, we take the pressure off the streets and offer users a reliable parking alternative in highly frequented locations.”
How It Works: License Plate Recognition & Full Digital Process
The new system uses proven automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology that streamlines entry and exit from designated car parks. Drivers simply park in any free regular space without needing to find special car-sharing spots. The entire process — from starting the rental to ending the parking session — is managed in the background on the MILES platform, eliminating all traditional parking tickets and payment machines.
The ticketless approach not only fast-tracks parking but also ensures a smooth, consistent rental experience that can adapt as the program scales. APCOA and MILES are already exploring expansions beyond Berlin, potentially bringing this smart parking solution to other cities facing similar parking shortages and urban challenges.
Why This Matters to Urban Areas Worldwide
As urban centers worldwide grapple with increasing vehicle density and limited parking space, digital solutions like the APCOA-MILES pilot demonstrate how technology can alleviate one of city living’s most persistent pains: parking stress. Multi-storey car parks equipped with smart systems reduce the number of vehicles circling for spaces, easing congestion and cutting emissions that fuel global climate challenges.
This model holds particular resonance for American cities, many of which struggle with similar issues of downtown parking scarcity and traffic pollution. While rooted in the Berlin context, the success of this pilot could inspire US urban planners and mobility providers to adopt ticketless, integrated parking systems that prioritize convenience and environmental impact.
What to Watch Next
The immediate focus is on gathering user feedback and performance data to refine the service. APCOA’s digital platform, APCOA FLOW, will play a crucial role as the company aims to transform car parks into comprehensive urban mobility hubs that combine parking, EV charging, logistics, and mobility services. Expansion plans outside Berlin remain under evaluation, signaling possible future roll-outs across Europe and potentially influencing mobility frameworks in major American cities.
For drivers in Berlin’s busy city center, this pilot means less time wasted in parking frustration and more time saved — a tangible improvement in urban daily life. As traffic and pollution pressures mount globally, integrating smart parking with car sharing stands out as an innovative step toward smarter, cleaner cities.
