Parking Management in Bucharest - Resident Satisfaction and Local Governance Outcomes

This study explores citizen’s satisfaction with the current state of parking management in the Romanian capital. The analysis highlights the financial implications of local government efforts to ensure compliance with the relevant legislation. By examining irregularities or issues observed on the streets and in public parking areas, the study provides an empirical assessment of how parking facilities are managed within the urban domain. A quantitative approach was employed, utilising a questionnaire completed by 1,073 residents of Bucharest. The findings reveal a significant dissatisfaction among citizens with the management of parking issues. Authorities' tolerance of parking law breaches compromises public safety and reduces the overall quality of life. Moreover, the daily presence of over 500,000 illegally parked vehicles highlights the inaction of local authorities in addressing taxpayer concerns. Two key solutions are proposed to address these challenges: (a) the strategic planning and management of modern parking facilities, and (b) a shared commitment from public authorities and citizens to fulfil their responsibilities. Furthermore, enforcing parking laws for illegal parking could potentially contribute 247.5 million RON (approximately 49.5 million EUR) to local government budgets on a daily basis. A noted limitation of this research is the relatively small sample size of the respondents. Future studies aim to expand the scope by incorporating other dimensions of parking management and adopting a comparative framework at the European level.