Zakopane considers restricting city center vehicle traffic

Authorities in Zakopane are considering plans to restrict vehicle traffic in the city center to address growing parking shortages and environmental concerns. Proposed by councilor Zbigniew Szczerba, the initiative suggests a model used in other European resorts where tourists could drive to their accommodation only on their day of arrival. During their stay, vehicles would need to remain in hotel or guesthouse parking lots.

To manage access, the plan involves using a network of monitoring cameras to read license plates, integrated with the ‘Tourist Card’ system to verify that drivers are heading to specific registered accommodations. Residents would likely maintain access to designated areas.

However, significant logistical and financial hurdles remain. Vice-mayor Bartłomiej Bryjak noted that such restrictions would require a highly efficient public transport system with buses running every 5 to 10 minutes. The city currently lacks the hundreds of millions of zlotys required to develop this necessary infrastructure.