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Parking rules hurt locals

Prague residents, businesses attest to the problems caused by new restrictions

By Ondřej Bouda
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
April 16th, 2008 issue

KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST
Drivers seize the opportunity to park along the riverside in Prague 5, which has no restrictions, unlike districts 1, 2, 3 and 7.
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Parking has recently become a more complex issue in several parts of Prague. Within the last six months, Prague districts 2, 3 and 7 have introduced blue parking zones for permanent residents, similar to those that have existed in Prague 1 since 1996. However, Prague 1 consists mostly of the historical center, where parking restrictions were meant to reduce the number of cars for the benefit of tourists.
The recent changes in other districts have instead affected residents, who complain that their lives have become much more complicated and they can’t even have visitors because there is nowhere to park. Furthermore, many workers and repairmen have stopped accepting jobs in areas with parking restrictions for the same reason.
Despite many such complaints, more city districts want to apply similar restrictions. Prague 5 and 10 are currently looking at ways to implement the same system.
“Blue parking zones have proved the best solution, as so many free parking spaces show,” said Jiří Wolf, spokesman of Prague City Hall, speaking of the system’s success in reducing traffic.
Under the new system, a permanent resident can obtain a yearlong parking permit for 700 Kč ($43.80) for one vehicle and park anywhere within district limits. The registration of a second car costs 7,000 Kč. But, to qualify as a permanent resident, a person must possess a national ID card listing the relevant home address; simply renting a flat does not count. Nonresidents interested in a yearlong parking permit have to pay 36,000 Kč for the privilege. Thus many people living in districts with blue parking zones cannot park their cars nearby.
And it’s not just residents who are affected by the changes.
“When people call me nowadays, the first thing I ask before accepting a job is where they live,” said Prague painter Petr Němeček. “I can’t afford annual parking in all those districts and going by metro is impossible if you have to carry a ladder and several buckets of paint.”
He is not alone. Many repairmen now refuse to work in affected city districts because it is too expensive.
“The only option I have is to run out every two hours to pay for a short-term ticket [120 Kč], but it’s hard to keep an eye on the clock while working and it slows me down,” Němeček continued.
Many small businesses are considering relocating as a result of the problem, as paying for parking for company cars is even more expensive, often requiring the 36,000 Kč permit. At the same time, their customers have nowhere to park. Restaurants have complained of fewer patrons and might face financial problems unless a quick solution is found.
People commuting to Prague for work have also complained. “I can’t afford to pay 36,000 Kč, but I have to come to Prague by car,” said Petr Novák, who commutes to Žižkov in Prague 3. “It looks like I’ll have to pay each morning for the privilege of going to work.”
People have faced problems parking in front of hospitals while bringing sick children or pregnant wives to the doctor. Some try to solve the problem by leaving notes for police explaining the situation, but usually to no avail.
Still the list of complaints is not complete. A simple trip to the cinema can turn into a nightmare, as a group of theatergoers who went to Kino Aero in Prague 3 March 15 can attest. “We only realized after we got there that there are these new parking zones, and it was too late to figure out another solution, so we just parked there hoping for the best,” said Martin Cikánek. “When the concert was over, our car was gone, and we had to go to the police and the impound lot where we met other people from the cinema looking for their cars too. They still had programs in their hands and were trying to explain to city officials why they had to park there.”
Last month, a group of 41 Social Democratic MPs complained to the Constitutional Court that such restrictions were unconstitutional as they discriminated against certain groups of citizens and are against public interest.
Wolf responded: “The MPs are complaining there is nowhere to park for nonresidents. But that has been our intention from the start.”
Changes to the system are possible as City Hall wants to review the new system within the next few months. However, Prague residents should not get their hopes up.
“We only intend to make partial changes, like allowing family members who take care of elderly or disabled relatives to park within the blue zones,” Wolf said.

Ondřej Bouda can be reached at obouda@praguepost.com


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