Zadar, the First in Croatia to Apply the Mobile Application Zadar Smart City

It is an application offering public transport users all information needed on bus lines and making it easier for the drivers to find and pay for a parking place. The application is of the multiple elements of the project “Implementation of Smart Traffic Solutions Using New Technologies and ICT Zadar Urban Mobility 4.0 (ZUM 4.0)”.

It, therefore, concerns a developed system of smart parking within the system of electronic payment of public transport, public transport and traffic information system, complementary mobile application Zadar Smart City and Zadar ParkIn, and the Central information System as the heart of the entire project.  

One of the creators of the application, Darko Ivanišević, representative of Service providers of the Community of Bidders Grafik.net d.o.o., Callidus grupa d.o.o., Intech d.o.o .and  Paywiser Ite., explained how they set up the application, its functions and benefits exclusively intended for the citizens of Zadar.

- We have very clearly set up aims, especially for citizens as well as utility services emphasizing public transport and parking. We have created a unique system where, unlike other cities, the business processes were not digitized in Zadar, but new ones have been created in line with the newest technological solutions. We have created one central system where all data is stored and we have also set up several sub-systems. The Zadar Smart City application contains also a ZadarSmartCity card for public transport payment, and further more services being able to be topped up through m-banking. 

With this application, the kiosk thus becomes our mobile phone. - explains Ivanišević and continues:

 – The initial idea was for a physical and virtual card. It could be personalized or non-personalized depending on the user's wishes. Prior to this, the user used to go to a kiosk, filled in a paper card which he had to cut upon entering. Then this same procedure was performed with cards where the user once again had to go to the kiosk for a regular refill of the card. Now, with this new application, our mobile becomes the kiosk. The citizens of Zadar will literally be able to refill their card through m-banking, whether virtual or physical.

Furthermore, Goran Ranogajec from the Callidus group brought us closer to the work of a complementary mobile application Zadar ParkIn, for an easier way of finding a parking place. The application first offers us the zone where it is most probable to find a parking, and when you come closer to a certain location, it then indicates single parking places. 

- The application uses the Machine Learning concept, in other words artificial intelligence that has studied the habits of the driver whereby it becomes more precise and smarter each day -  Ranogajec pointed out.

We must add that the application will show 14 parking micro zones in Zadar and the probability of finding a parking place in a determined micro zone in real time will be seen according to the offered colors. The application will also have citizens navigate to the micro zone and once they approach the accessibility of single parking places will be shown. 

The aim of this application, as well as that of the system, is to break traffic jams in the city of Zadar. Finally, it was said that the application should be available within a few days at Google Store and Apple Store.

- I remember the efforts we made to explain the abbreviation ZUM, which will now acquire its practical application, sense and purpose, and the citizens will get a simple guidance system to free parking places. More than 1100 public parking places in the very center of the city are equipped with sensors for detecting vehicles. Through the city network, they deliver information on the occupancy status of individual parking places to the central server. Citizens will also receive a fast and easy payment system in public transport, information about city lines, routes, departure time from stations, journey time and a whole range of other easily accessible information. The aim of this technologically demanding and extensive project was to simplify the access to public services and raise the quality of urban living. This is just one segment of our smart city concept that we have been developing for years – said the mayor of Zadar, Branko Dukić.

The entire value of the project ZUM 4.0 is 1,966,134.48 EUR (14,813,840.30 HRK), of which 1,613,909.35 EUR (12,160,000.00 HRK) are EU grants realized through the ITU mechanism within the Operative Program of Competitiveness and Cohesion