New app matches fed-up motorists with a spare car parking spaces

Hail Mary full of grace, help me find a parking space.

That's the motorist's prayer as streets become ever more congested and parking spots more elusive.

Now a new Dublin start-up is matching spare or under-used parking capacity with drivers desperate for a parking spot.

Gareth Flower, from Colehill in Co Longford but based in Dublin, has launched Parkpnp with co-founders Daniel Paul and Daniel Ramamoorthy.

The "pnp" stands for people and places. Its goal is to list, advertise and generate income from unused or under-utilised parking spaces.

Through the app, renters can make an average saving of 50 per cent.

The start-up wants to create a new cohort of what it calls "parkpreneurs".

Listings are free but the company takes a 20 per cent slice of any revenue generated from a match-up.

The lister has full control of the calendar and can list hourly, daily, weekly or monthly rentals.

The lister also maintains complete control of the space and the price, and can accept or decline any offers at will.

"We have 250 private residential listings and 2,500 commercial offerings. One enterprising home owner in Cork is offering to wash the renter's car for an extra tenner thrown in. So you come back to a nice clean car!

"The Clayton Hotel adjacent to Dublin Airport is renting out 1,500 carpark spaces at a discount to the established airport spots. It runs a shuttle bus for travellers and holiday-makers and saves them money."

The app has listings close to railway, Dart and Luas stations as well as sports stadiums and in the city centre.

"The parking situation at the new children's hospital site at St James' Hospital in Dublin 8 is already proving a major headache. We are scouting the area for spare parking capacity.

"For instance, a lot of businesses use their parking Monday to Friday but it's available to rent at the weekend. Or businesses might have vacant space at the rear of their premises."

The startup is a year in existence and is already employing 13, in a mixture of sales, marketing and development roles.

And the app's founders have global ambitions. App users with paces in Rome, Munich, The Hague, Alvor in Portugal and Stockholm are already using the app and clamouring for the service it provides.

And in the next six months the team will be rolling out an offering whereby city centre businesses such as hairdressers and barbers will offer parking inclusive with the price of an appointment.