The prices have returned to the 2010 levels.
The price of parking in Zagreb has increased once again, this time by between 33 and more than 100 percent, depending on the parking zone. Similar price increases have occurred in the public parking garages as well. The citizens, as expected, are not thrilled with the drastic price increase, but Mayor Milan Bandić says it was needed to reduce traffic jams and make people use public transport more, reports RTL on July 30, 2018.
The prices have gone up the most in the first parking zone. Instead of 6 kuna, an hour of parking will now cost 12 kuna. In the second zone, the prices have risen from 2 to 5 kuna, and in the third zone from 1.50 kuna to 2 kuna.
The price of daily, commercial and privileged parking tickets has remained the same, but the charging period in the first zone has been extended from 9 pm to 10 pm.
Not even the public parking garages will provide a safe haven from higher prices. The prices there have risen from four and five to six and ten kuna.
The new parking prices will be similar to the ones from 2010.
In recent years, there has been a familiar pattern, with prices suddenly dropping ahead of elections. Still, the mayor says there is nothing controversial about it. “There are many factors that cause hypertension, but this time the parking price increase should not be one of them,” said Bandić in early July, when the price increase was first discussed.
The first drop in prices happened in 2010, ahead of the presidential elections when Bandić was one of the candidates. In 2013, local elections were held, and there was a new price cut. Not surprisingly, another price cut was introduced in 2015, just ahead of parliamentary elections.
The years of lower parking prices are apparently over. Although not for the mayor himself, who does not care about the price. “I solved my parking problem when I bought an apartment in Bužanova street and paid 17,500 euro for a garage. I paid my parking for the next 36 years,” Bandić said.
Those who, unlike the mayor, do not possess such a long-term vision, have no other option but to pay higher prices. The only good news is that presidential elections will be held in late 2019, and Bandić is one of the potential candidates.
Translated from RTL (reported by Andrej Dimtrijević).
