DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A WEB-BASED SMART PARKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (A CASE STUDY OF DUGBE COMMERCIAL AREA, IBADAN)

Parking congestion has become a major challenge in busy commercial areas due to increased vehicle ownership, poor space management, lack of proper monitoring, and inadequate parking records. These challenges often result in traffic obstruction, delays, driver frustration, environmental pollution, and reduced commercial productivity. The study aims to develop an efficient parking management solution that improves space utilization and enhances traffic flow within urban commercial environments. The existing parking system in Dugbe operates manually, with little or no coordination in the allocation and monitoring of parking spaces. Drivers spend considerable time searching for available spaces, while parking attendants rely on manual observation and record-keeping, which is prone to errors, inefficiency, and data loss. The absence of a centralized system also makes it difficult for administrators to monitor parking usage, generate reports, and plan for improved parking infrastructure. To address these challenges, a web-based smart parking management system was developed to automate parking operations and improve efficiency. The system enables drivers to view available parking spaces in real time, reserve parking slots where applicable, and receive guidance on parking availability. Administratively, the system allows parking managers to monitor space usage, update parking status, maintain records, and generate reports for planning and decision-making purposes. The system was developed using web technologies, with HTML and CSS used for the user interface design, PHP used for server-side scripting, and MySQL used for database management and storage of parking records. The system design incorporated a structured database and user-friendly interface to ensure ease of use and efficient operation. System testing was conducted to verify functionality, reliability, and performance. The results showed that the system significantly improves parking space utilization, reduces traffic congestion, minimizes time spent searching for parking, and enhances administrative efficiency. The implementation of the smart parking system demonstrates the effectiveness of web-based technologies in solving urban transportation and parking challenges.