User Perceptions and Loyalty toward Smart Parking Applications

Effective parking management is a pressing challenge, particularly in high-demand settings such as university campuses, where diverse user groups and limited parking resources exacerbate the problems. Smart parking applications that leverage real-time data and user-centric interfaces to enhance parking efficiency and reduce user stress have emerged as innovative solutions. Prior research has focused on the technological capabilities of these applications, but limited attention has been given to the specific factors that influence user satisfaction and loyalty, particularly in the distinct context of university settings. The present study addressed this gap by investigating how perceived quality, value, ease of use, and user complaints shape users' levels of satisfaction and loyalty toward the applications. To achieve this, a structured survey was conducted among smart parking application users at a university campus. A total of 105 valid responses were received, and structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS Amos was employed to analyze the relationships between the constructs. The findings indicated that the perceived quality and value significantly impact satisfaction, which, in turn, is a strong predictor of loyalty. App usability and parking information emerged as key drivers of perceived quality, whereas user complaints negatively influenced both quality and loyalty. The results provide actionable insights for developers and university administrators seeking to improve smart parking applications by addressing user needs, enhancing the app's functionality, and ensuring reliable performance. This study contributes to advancing urban mobility and parking management strategies tailored to academic institutions.