Parking platform Parksy is relaunching the driveway-sharing feature that first thrust the Australian startup into the national spotlight 14 years ago.
Previously known as parkingmadeeasy.com.au, the Sydney startup attracted widespread attention in August 2012 when a Western Australian mayor publicly said users could not rent out their own driveways.
The resulting dispute attracted coverage across Fairfax newspapers, breakfast television and talkback radio, while Brisbane City Council reportedly warned of a potential black market in parking spaces and authorities in Perth threatened crackdowns.
Now Parksy is bringing the concept back with AI technology and its Friend Finder feature, designed to connect drivers seeking regular parking with local residents who have spare driveways, garages or other suitable spaces.
Listings and searches are free, Parksy takes no commission and does not require lease paperwork.
Founder Daniel Battaglia said the controversy surrounding the original concept ultimately helped promote the business.
“Being told to stop was the best marketing we never paid for,” Battaglia said.
“Every council that called driveway-sharing a black market was really saying the same thing: this works, people want it, and nobody official thought of it first.”
Parksy says more than 13,000 parking spaces are now listed on its platform across Australia.
The Friend Finder feature is intended to make connections between drivers and space owners more neighbour-to-neighbour than commercial, including helping users identify people they may already know on the platform.
The company describes itself as a free, commission-free parking marketplace operating across 57 countries. Its services also include tools to help motorists find parking, assess parking fines, interpret signage, locate parked vehicles and report accidents.
Space owners can list driveways, garages and other unused parking spots without paying commission.
Battaglia, who founded the business in 2011, believes attitudes have changed significantly since the original controversy.
“We were 12 years early and one mayor short of a licence,” he said.
“This time nobody is telling anyone they can’t park here.”
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