President Piotr Roman raised the issue of parking spaces for people with disabilities. “We tried to create more of them than the regulations required. Sometimes we were even reprimanded for having too many of these spaces. Nevertheless, in each of these cases we firmly maintained that these spaces for people with disabilities were necessary,” he stressed. “Recently, I spoke with a woman from the area around the Market Square who shouted at me, asking why there were so many of these spaces if no person with a disability parked there, while she had to park near the shop she owns. She even got offended when I suggested that perhaps she could cycle to work.
The president also informed the councillors that the City was working on a “comprehensive concept” for solving the problem of the shortage of parking spaces in Bolesławiec. “It seems that things cannot continue this way: all parking lots except Piłsudski Square are free of charge. We are taking a very close look at the solutions adopted by Zgorzelec, which is introducing a comprehensive paid parking zone system in May,” P. Roman said. In the president’s view, one of the more interesting solutions adopted by that local government is that residents of the zone will be able to purchase a subscription costing around a dozen złoty, but only for their first car. For a second and subsequent cars, it will be considerably more expensive.
“What is really the problem today?” the president continued. “The number of cars. In Bolesławiec, there are more registered cars than adult residents [pisaliśmy o tym w materiale 50 tys. aut każdego dnia w naszym mieście – przyp. „ii”].
The paid parking zone will, of course, not cover the entire city. In the worst-case scenario, it will encompass the area of the “old ring road”: Podgórna, Garncarska, Łokietka, Wesoła, Tamka, Chrobrego, Spółdzielcza and Zygmunta Augusta.
“This is a very difficult subject, which is why these solutions must be introduced carefully,” the mayor emphasized. “But on the other hand, if we want to increase turnover in parking spaces in the center, we have to do something. It is clearly visible that there is usually some space at Piłsudski Square, and this is only because parking there costs one złoty per hour, or 50 groszy per half-hour—probably the lowest parking rate in Lower Silesia. But even that creates turnover.
Piotr Roman also said that the Zgorzelec subscription for the first car was too expensive and that in Bolesławiec it should cost less. He added that he knew someone who owned three cars. When asked why he did not sell them, the man replied that there were no interested buyers and that, as long as the car was parked, it did not bother him. “If we introduce paid parking zones, this man will opt for a subscription for one car and will want to do something with the rest,” the president explained.
It is not yet known when additional paid parking zones will be introduced or exactly what area they will cover. We will certainly return to the subject.