Transport for NSW has announced a smart parking trial involving four commuter car parks in Sydney.

Smart parking systems are operating at four Opal Park&Ride car parks, where commuters can park for 18 hours free each day if they tap on and off public transport within that period.

Smart parking data is now available through the AnyTrip app, enabling commuters to see how many Opal Park&Ride spaces are available before getting into their cars each morning.

Commuters can also check the AnyTrip app to see predicted “occupancy patterns” based on historical data collected at the four Opal Park&Ride car parks.

Other unnamed selected third party app developers have also received access to the smart parking data from Transport for NSW.

The four Opal Park&Ride car parks are located at Seven Hills, Kogarah, Ashfield and Manly Vale. The NSW government previously stated that “almost half of people who use commuter car parks at train stations do not catch public transport.”