In most cases, bookings do not need to be extended.
Car parks are configured with an “always allow egress” rule. This means:
If a driver entered the car park with a valid booking
They can always exit on the same day, even if their booking end time has passed
Example:
Booking ends at 6:00pm
Driver leaves at 8:00pm on the same day
Exit will still be allowed
This behaviour is intended for operational simplicity and should not be advertised to drivers. Drivers should be told that their booking time is the period during which they are meant to use the car park.
When does a booking actually need to be extended?
Action is only needed when a driver is staying past midnight.
Bookings are day-based
After midnight, a new day starts
The driver no longer has a valid booking for that new day
Example:
Booking: 9:00am–6:00pm Monday
Driver leaves at 11:30pm Monday → no issue (same day, exit allowed)
Driver leaves at 1:00am Tuesday → new day, no booking for Tuesday
In this case, to effectively “extend” the booking:
Create a new booking for the next day (e.g. Tuesday) for that driver
This ensures that, from the system’s perspective, their exit after midnight is covered
Overstays
Some clients are concerned that if drivers can always leave after their booking end time, they might regularly overstay. A few key points help manage this:
What drivers are told
Drivers are informed that they can access the car park during their booking time only. This means:They can enter and exit multiple times within their booking window
They cannot enter the car park after their booking has ended
Why exits are always allowed
Once a driver is already inside the car park, blocking them from exiting after their booking ends would create safety and operational issues. For this reason, systems are configured to always allow exit on the same day, even if the booking end time has passed. This behaviour is not advertised to drivers.
Why it should not be advertised
Drivers should be encouraged to treat their booking time as the period they are meant to use the car park. The “always allow egress” behaviour is an operational safeguard, not a feature for drivers to rely on or plan around.
How overstays are monitored
If overstays become a concern, the Overstay report in the dashboard can be used to:Identify drivers who frequently stay past their booking end time
Spot patterns or repeat behaviour
Apply follow-up actions that align with the organisation’s own policy (for example, reminders, warnings, or changes to access)
This approach avoids blocking exits while still giving administrators clear visibility and control over overstaying behaviour.