Well, here’s another light bulb idea we wish we had thought of sooner. Apparently, renting out personal parking spaces to fellow motorists is very big business in some countries. How big? According to UK-based parking space booking service Your Parking Space, homeowners in Britain made around £21 million renting out their driveways in 2020.
Converted, that figure is more than P1.37 billion.
Making the sum even more impressive is the fact that, well, the world is currently in the middle of a pandemic and going around unnecessarily is generally being discouraged. These motorists aren’t going around partying, though. Your Parking Space says bookings in city centers near offices went up by 19% after lockdown measures began.
“Rented driveway demand has remained strong in 2020, not least because empty driveways near workplaces have provided an attractive alternative to motorists who are avoiding public transport and need somewhere cheap and convenient to park their vehicle,” Your Parking Space managing director Harrison Woods said in a statement.
“We fully anticipate demand to remain strong in 2021, especially if many workers continue to drive rather than take the bus or train.”
We know. At first glance, it looks careless. It’s as if people are driving out despite the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19. Woods’ statement, though, may suggest the opposite: Employees are opting to take personal cars to work instead of risking having to commute with hundreds of strangers via public transportation.
Damn. P1.3 billion huh? Is there an app like this in the Philippines yet? We have a feeling something like this would be a hit for office workers in Bonifacio Global City or Makati City. What do you think?
