High fines for those who try to dodge new parking tax in the center of Bucharest
Bucharest City Hall has launched its long-debated parking fee structure, and those who don’t pay or pay incorrectly risk high fines.
Drivers could be fined RON 200 (EUR 40) per day and have their vehicles blocked if they use the parking lots managed by City Hall and do not pay the corresponding fees, writes SpotMedia.
The measure came into force on August 16 and concerns public domain parking spaces marked with blue paint.
According to the Bucharest Municipal Parking Company, any driver who wishes to park their car in one of the ‘blue’ parking spaces, may do so after paying the mandatory fee.
The parking fee is payable via the Parking București app, which is free to download from the AppStore or Google Play, via SMS to 7458, or in person to one of the parking attendants stationed in the municipal parking lots.
The app is also useful in finding parking spots near your chosen destination and seeing when the next spot will become available.
The parking rates charged by the Municipal Parking Company are applied by zone.
Zone 0 is the area consisting of Tudor Arghezi St., Dr. Dimitrie G. Gerota St., Jean Louis Calderon St., C.A. Rosetti Blvd., Nicolae Bălcescu Blvd., Ion Câmpineanu St., Victoriei Ave., Splaiul Independenței, Halelor St., Unirii Blvd., Mircea Voda St., Matei Basarab St., and Hristo Botev Blvd.
Zone 1 is between Zone 0 and the perimeter formed by the following streets: Francofoniei Square, 13 Septembrie Ave., Panduri Road, Geniului Blvd., Cotroceni Road, Mihail Kogălniceanu Blvd., Vasile Pârvan St., Berzei St., Gării de Nord Blvd., Gării de Nord Square, Griviței Road, Nicolae Titulescu Road, Banu Manta Blvd., Ion Mihalache Blvd., Aviator Popișteanu St., Expoziției Blvd., Parcului St., Tipografilor St., Bucuresti-Ploiesti Road, Aerogării Blvd., Nicolae G. Caranfil Blvd., Mircea Eliade Blvd., Floreasca Ave., Polonă St., Mihai Eminescu St., Traian St., Pache Protopopescu Blvd., Mihai Bravu Road, Traian Popovici St., Dudești Ave., Octavian Goga Blvd., Nerva Traian St., Gheorghe Șincai Blvd., Lânăriei St., Șerban Vodă Ave., Mărășești Blvd., Libertății Square, Mitropolit Nifon St., Regina Maria Square, Libertății Blvd.
Zone 2 includes the parking places specially arranged between Zone 1 and the administrative limit of the city.
Monday through Friday, from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, the rates are applied as follows:
- RON 10 (EUR 2) per hour in zone 0
- RON 5 (EUR 1) per hour in zone 1
- RON 2.5 (EUR 0.5) per hour in zone 2
The rate doubles after the first two hours - a measure designed to discourage long-term parking in the city center.
Monthly parking passes are also available.
In order to obtain a parking pass, residents (individuals who own a car and live on the street where the public car park is located) must show their ID and the registration certificate of their vehicle, and the address on the registration certificate must match the address on the ID card.
The monthly passes come in two types:
A. Without reservation (payment of the fee allows the use of a parking space without reservation or nomination)
- RON 200 /month in zone 0;
- RON 100 /month in zone 1;
- RON 80 /month in zone 2.
B. With reservation (payment of the fee allows the use of a reserved parking space, 24 hours a day)
- RON 900 /month in zone 0;
- RON 700 /month in zone 1;
- RON 400 /month in zone 2.
There are also one-day, one-week, one-semester, and one-year parking passes available for each of the zones.
Companies and other legal entities can also opt for a one-day, one-week, one-month, one-semester, or one-year pass, but the rates are about 33% higher than for individuals.
The mayor of the capital, Nicușor Dan, said that all those who park in the so-called 'blue spots' in the central area of the capital and do not pay will be fined, and if the problem persists, the wheels of the vehicles will be blocked.
The same treatment applies to individual who pay the parking fee, but exceeded the amount of time they paid for.
A driver is obligated to know when their allotted time in the parking space expires and to remove their car before its expiration, or extend their parking time via one of the payment methods mentioned in the beginning.
The mayor also said that the municipality intends to extend the 'blue parking zone' to a number of streets adjacent to the central area of Bucharest.
However, curbside parking will continue to be allowed, and free, in those areas where there is a sign indicating that it is so.
(Photo source: Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com)
