Although Tallinn is often considered the most expensive capital in terms of parking, a comparison with the tariffs set by the Riga municipality shows that our capital has surpassed this benchmark.
Parking in the centre of Riga and in the Old Town has become a significant expense item for drivers. For example, the first hour in the Old Town costs 5 euros, but each subsequent hour – already 8 euros, which means that for a full working day (8 hours) one will have to part with 61 euros. For comparison, in Tallinn’s Old Town this amount would be 48 euros, and in Vilnius – 28 euros.
“As the number of vehicles and traffic density in cities increases, parking prices become one of the tools to regulate the flow of cars. At the same time, they also highlight the invisible and constantly rising costs of car ownership,” explains Europcar head in Latvia Vilis Bērziņš.
With rising costs, public attitudes are also changing – especially in Riga and its surroundings. The car is no longer perceived as a mandatory element of the household but as a choice that must be economically justified. “Parking fees are only one part. Costs for maintenance, tyres, insurance are also increasing. We see that both individuals and companies are increasingly looking for predictable, transparent solutions where the costs of using a car over the next 6–12 months are known precisely,” adds the company representative.
In Vilnius, the city centre is also divided into zones, and in the blue zone parking costs €3.50 for the first hour, but from the second hour onwards the fee rises to €4 per hour. It should be noted that in the blue zone the fee is applied 24 hours a day – unlike in other zones where parking is free at night. The maximum fine for unauthorised parking in the blue zone in Vilnius is currently 96 euros (previously – 40 euros). Meanwhile in Tallinn the minimum fine is 40 euros and it can double depending on the severity of the violation.
In Riga fines often do not exceed 70 euros, although for serious violations they can be considerably higher. It should be noted that unlike in Tallinn, in the Old Town of Riga parking is free from midnight until 6:00 a.m.
Originally published at https://inc-baltics.com/riga-jarekinas-ar-vieniem-no-augstakajiem-auto-stavvietu-tarifiem-baltija-apsteidzam-pat-tallinu/
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
