Bucharest City Hall started checking parked cars to see if the drivers paid for parking. The checks are done with the help of cars equipped with cameras connected to specialized software, and the first two such cars are already on the street. 

According to mayor Nicusor Dan, the digital system of each car can detect up to 2000 vehicles/hour and allows the scanning of license plates and the verification of parking rights.

Dan said that these are the first two vehicles out of the 18 that the Municipal Parking Company of Bucharest will have for verifying payments and ensuring the safety of cars left in the public parking lots of the capital.

"At this moment, we have exceeded 30,000 parking spaces for which studies have been conducted and approvals obtained, out of which over 20,000 are already in use. Our goal is to reach 80,000 paid parking spaces for the entire central and northern area. We are not doing this to make money, we are doing it to regulate the traffic in Bucharest," emphasized the general mayor, cited by Agerpres.

Deputy mayor of Bucharest, Stelian Bujduveanu, stated that the two cars would digitize the parking service.

"Last year, when we started the parking system reform, there was no digitalization, no control method, absolutely nothing. It was pure chaos. However, since last year, from the end of summer until today, we have made significant progress. What you will see in the coming period is another stage of digitalization: 300 parking meters, automated machines for paying parking fees will be installed in the city centre, and barriers in the parking lots that can be closed and are suitable for closure," Bujduveanu added.

The two cars responsible for checking parking payments are linked to the central software of the Municipal Parking Company of Bucharest. 

The fine for unpaid parking is RON 200 (EUR 40).

From August last year, 147,000 parking violation notices have been issued, and approximately 40% of them have been paid, according to Cristian Olaru, general director of the Municipal Parking Company of Bucharest.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)