Romania explores hypermarket parking subscriptions for residents

Authorities in Romania are exploring new ways to address urban parking shortages, including the potential use of hypermarket parking lots for residential subscriptions during nighttime hours. In Bucharest, local officials are considering discussions with major retailers to allow residents to park in store lots, potentially between 21:00 and 08:00. Access could be managed through existing automated license plate recognition systems.

Kaufland has already implemented a similar subscription model in several areas of Bucharest. The retailer stated the service was a response to requests from local residents seeking additional parking options. Current rates for this service include 400 lei for one month, 1,125 lei for three months, 2,100 lei for six months, and 2,600 lei for a year.

While the project could expand to other retailers, the operator may only allocate approximately 5% of available spaces to these subscriptions. Paul Moldovan, the interim mayor of Sector 6, noted that this percentage might be too low to significantly impact the shortage of parking spaces in residential neighborhoods. Local authorities suggest that hundreds or thousands of spaces would be required to make a meaningful difference.