Thousands of parking lots complicate parking

Seven multistorey car parks, about 10,000 zoned parking spaces, over 2,000 parking spaces in the so-called closed parking lots with ramps, even more parking space for private entities – and still parking in Skopje is a difficult and expensive venture. There are some parking lots that charge about MKD 30, but it usually costs MKD 40 or 50 per hour. There are no guarantees at some of the parking lots that the owner will be reimbursed it their car is damaged, even though some parking lots have 24-hour video surveillance, and some don’t have any security cameras. On top of that, in parts of Debar Maalo there are still streets that are not cleared which manages the parking lot, or who needs to be paid. Although nearly 10 years have passed since zone parking was enforced, and although multistorey car parks emerge like mushrooms after rain, parking is still one of the biggest problems that citizens face every day. Those who manage these parking lots also have problems, and there are several.

Different managers with different policies                   

Public Enterprise City Parking- Skopje. PE Parkings of the Municipality of Centar, and Joint Stock Company for construction and management of residential and business premises (ADSDP) operate with the largest number of car parks that are of several types. Each one has its own parking policy. Regarding the prices, and in terms of parking management strategy, they differ in terms of infrastructure, because the respective laws allow it. This is legally allowed by the Law on Local Self-Government, the Law on the City of Skopje, as well as the Law on Public Enterprises.

Among other things, it states that the City of Skopje and the municipalities have the right “to construct, maintain and use car parks of importance for the City of Skopje, determined by an urban plan”, and that “the municipalities and the City of Skopje establish public enterprises under conditions and manner determined by law”.

In parts of Debar Maalo there are still places where parking lots overlap. In particular, a parking zone is paid by PE “POC”, and a tow truck sent by PE City Parking may take over if parking is not properly paid. Daniel Nikolovski from the Municipality of Aerodrom faced such a situation.

He arranged an official meeting in a cafe in Debar Maalo. He parked on a zone parking space marked by PE POC and sent an SMS text to pay for the service. When he was done with his meeting and walked to the parking lot, his car was not nowhere to be found.

“From nearby cafes, I found out that a tow truck for illegally parked vehicles was on the field. It was clear to me that the took my car, but still I was confused, because I did send the sms text properly. I went to the tow service and literally I was shocked. After almost an hour of explanining, I found out that the two companies have uncleared relations for a part of the parking lots in Debar Maalo. Allegedly, the problems were overcome in a few days, ie it was clearly defined who and with which parking lots they are managing,” Nikolovski told Nezavisen Vesnik. According to him, the zone parking lots justify their existence, they have realistic prices, but the companies that work in this business should have better cooperation.

From the lesson he learned from this situation, Nikolovski says that in the future the most reliable option will be to park in the installed multistorey car park behind Bunjakovec Mall. “It’s cheaper, I know that it will not get towed, and this is only because of the inconsistencies among those who manage the parking in Debar Maalo,” he pointed out.
This example is only one of the few that is the result of overlapping of the competencies in the parking area between city and municipal authorities, in particular between the Public Enterprise City Parking – Skopje and the municipal  of Centar, PE POC.

Working on a new concept and solution

Both PE City Parking – Skopje and PE Parkings of Municipality of Centar are aware of the omissions, just like the city’s mayor, who admits there are parking problems in the capital, especially in the central city area. Mayor Petre Silegov is aware that there are overlaps in the work of the two companies, which have the largest number of parking spaces. Even before taking office, he promised he would solve these parking problems, and after a year of field work there were still no specific results. Mayor Silegov claims he is working on a permanent solution to this issue, which is essential and complex, and requires a model that will be operational and functional after its implementation.

“Skopje has a serious parking problem because of its bad concept. Above all, there are about 8,000 parking spaces in the city. The current functioning of the car parks is turbulent, without a common policy that would lead to the stimulation of public transport and the discouraging the use of cars, which would automatically reduce the need for car parks, and thus crowdedness and problems. Currently, as things are done, parking has no capacity to satisfy the needs of the citizens,” Skopje Mayor Silegov assessed.

He argues that the City is intensively working to change the concept of traffic, with a different concept of bus transportation and the discouragement of the use of cars being planned, which will reduce the need for parking spaces.

“Parking is a communal activity that by definition does not have to be performed by the City or the municipalities. It can also be done by private entities. My point is that one entity does not have to provide the service, but a single policy of car park management is necessary. I think that this will solve the current situation,” adds Silegov, who believes that in the course of next year parking problems from every aspect will be in the past. It adds that at the moment when the tram plans are completed, the city will start with the implementation of a completely different traffic regime, which will reduce the need for parking in the city center.

Among other things, the city authorities are working on a new traffic regime for Orce Nikolov Street, and they are analyzing and conducting a study of a new concept of parking in the entire “Mal Ring”.

“It’s too early to say, but I assure you that in the course of this year, parking will be deleted from the list of problems that Skopje citizens face,” Silegov claims.
Borce Jakimovski, the company’s director, also admits that even after almost 10 years Public Enterprise City Parking -Skopje has problems with parking in the city, that is, in the city center. According to him, there is a certain lack of parking spaces, problems with overlapping of competences occur, and at the same time, in large part, the problems would decrease if citizens raise awareness of the essence of parking.

“With the new solution for Orce Nikolov Street I believe that all the ambiguities will be overcome by parking at two three locations in Debar Maalo, where there are now overlaps in the streets, ie our parking lots and parking lots of PE POC. On the other hand, I think there are about twenty locations in the center that can be turned into car parks, in order to create additional capacity for parking, which will also reduce the real problem of lack of parking spaces, according to the established need based on various studies, assessments, etc.”, says Jakimovski. He is convinced that generally parking problems would be largely solved if citizens have a different approach to parking.

“First of all, citizens should take into account that parking is not a social category, as Mayor Silegov says, and therefore should be more expensive than it is now. At the same time, it should be eradicated from the citizens’ mentality that parking should be a step away from their homes, work, or any other final destination… It can be easily solved if there is will. It is not like we park for free when we go to foreign countries, a step away from the hotel where we are staying,” says Jakimovski.

Public Enterprise City Parking -Skopje claims that the company doesn’t see a rival in PE POC but, on the contrary, the eve indirectly cooperate, with the only purpose of making the parking in the city center run smoothly.

City parking has 10,000 parking spaces, while POC has twice as less

Compared to PE POC, PE City Parking – Skopje operates with more parking spaces. Under PE City Parking, there are two multistorey car parks, seven closed parking lots with a capacity of 1,694 spots and 5,580 zone car parks, that is, this company operates with a total of 8,324 parking spaces.

Meanwhile, the municipal company in Centar PE POC has almost twice as less parking spaces, that is, it has the capacity to park 5,173 vehicles at all open and closed parking lots, including the multistorey car park Judicial Palace. Most of the car parks are of zone parking type. Their goal, as well as parking zones of PE City Parking, is aimed at enabling uninterrupted circulation in traffic, especially in the part of parking.

“The continuous increase in traffic chaos has contributed to the need to mark the parking area – a zone, in addition to the traffic lanes and city streets. This parking approach has allowed a drastic reduction in lost time in the search for a free parking space,” is the explanation for zone parking.
However, in practice things are different. Parking space in any zone is sometimes required for more than ten minutes. The biggest reason for this is the lack of parking places in the city center, according to PE POC.

“The number of active user contracts for preferential parking cards for the inhabitants of the municipality of Centar for the first vehicle is currently 9,203, while the number of registered parking places on the territory of Centar municipality in our jurisdiction is 5,173. Based on these data, at the moment cumulating in the parking zones, there are 4,030 parking spaces missing. The biggest deficit in parking places is in the sectors Debar Maalo, Bunjakovec, Kapistec, as well as in the closed parking lots, the Dom na Gradeznici, Auto Makedonija and Trgotekstil, said Vasko Kicevski. In order to meet the needs of the inhabitants, Kicevski said, the company, along with Municipality Centar, plans to install a new open-air parking lot with a capacity of 287 parking spaces in Debar Maalo behind the municipality. The plan for the installation parking lot is already in the procedure in the City of Skopje and will soon be realized.

“Also in the sector, Debar Maalo with reconstruction of the street Orce Nikolov will get new 80 marked parking spaces. In the following period, a new parking lot will be opened in the Municipality of Centar with “Paloma Bijanka”, which will have capacity for about 100 new parking places. We plan to provide additional 200 new parking spaces in the sector Prolet and Madzir Maalo”, announces Kicevski.

Seven multistorey car parks, but the goal is still not reached

In the central city area there are seven multistorey car parks, two at the Public Enterprise City Parking, one at the Public Enterprise POC and four in the ADSDP. Everyone agrees that the multistorey car parks are too expensive, but only seemingly justify the basic purpose of their existence. Generally, the capacities in all car parks of this type are fulfilled. But there is almost no space in these car parks to park a car for 2 or 3 hours.

As many as 99 per cent of the multistorey car parks are used by legal entities. The original purpose and the assessment when they were built was not such, but, unfortunately, this concept was inherited from the previous authorities. They should be packed with vehicles that come for an hour, two, or three to the city center, is the common opinion of both the city and municipal authorities, as well as the competent persons from the ADSDP.

ADSDP manages the object Razlovecko Vostanie, or is known as the Baroque multistorey car park near MEPSO, which has a capacity for 280 vehicles. This car park is unique in Skopje, where vehicles go to the parking lots by elevator.

ADSDP also operates with the Kresnensko Vostanie, a multistorey car park at the National Opera and Ballet, which is practically underground. The Razlovecko Vostanie car park opposite the Soravia Mall with a capacity of 516 spots and Smilevski Kongres at the Museum of the Holocaust with 169 spots are also the responsibility of the ADSDP.

PE City Parking – Skopje owns two multistorey car parks,  the 26th of July car park, which has 445 parking spaces and is located on the site of former flower market, near the Museum of the City of Skopje. The second city multistorey car park is Beko, located in the city center, close to the Plaza Mall and has a capacity of 605 parking spots for vehicles, as well as 120 parking spots for bicycles.
PE POC owns only one multistorey car park, at the Court Palace, which has a capacity for 502 vehicles. This company is the only one that has two installed car parks – one in Kapistec with 210 parking spots and behind the Bunjakovec Mall, which has a capacity of 110 parking spots.

Sanja Naumovska