Municipal councilors from “Spasi Sofia” have proposed ending free parking for electric vehicles in Sofia and introducing a new “Red” parking zone covering the city’s historic center. According to Andrey Zografski, the “Red” zone will ease parking difficulties for residents by reducing car congestion in the heart of Sofia. Parking here would cost 5 leva per hour, with operating hours extended to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily - including Sundays, when parking chaos currently peaks. The existing eight subzones will be merged into four for simplicity, and the outdated paper parking coupons will be abolished. Staff currently patrolling the center will be reassigned. Annual resident stickers will remain valid at current prices, regardless of zone.

Beyond the central area, the “Blue” zone will be expanded to include neighborhoods like the Russian Center, Medical Academy, and parts of Oborishte and Ivan Vazov. Parking limits in both the “Blue” and new “Red” zones will be increased from two to three hours, with an option for full-day passes. Meanwhile, the “Green” zone will also grow, covering districts with major transport issues, including Studentski Grad, which Zografski likened to Sofia’s “Wild West” due to unregulated parking and poor public transport.

To ease student parking, only those registered as residents in dormitories will be eligible for resident parking stickers. One major change in the reform is that electric vehicles, which have enjoyed free parking until now, would pay 50% of the regular tariff across all zones - maintaining a discount but removing free privileges. Zografski stressed, “There is no free lunch.”

Designated Delivery and Short-Term Parking

The plan also includes designated free parking spots for deliveries, located near busy intersections and shopping areas. These would allow up to 15 minutes of free parking, with approximately 250 spots planned in central and wider central Sofia. Separate short-term parking, up to three minutes, is proposed near public institutions like schools and hospitals for quick drop-offs and pick-ups.

“Spasi Sofia” aims to reduce the current “Business Subscription” parking scheme in the city center, which they say contributes to congestion.

Financial and Administrative Changes

Boris Bonev highlighted that, if adopted, the reform could generate around 70 million leva in revenue for Sofia Municipality. They want all parking income directed to the municipality’s budget - not kept by the Center for Urban Mobility - and earmarked for parking infrastructure, road repairs in paid zones, and new public transport vehicles.

A broader reform of the Center for Urban Mobility is also planned, including cutting several hundred jobs. The removal of paper parking tickets is part of this modernization effort.

Additional Measures and Pricing Updates

The proposal includes raising fees for parking installation brackets from 30 to 50 leva and for vehicle repatriation from 90 to 120 leva, reflecting actual costs. Meanwhile, subscription limits will tighten: only 10% of parking spots may be allocated to subscriptions, and prices for subscriptions in the “Red” zone will double to 1,300 leva.

Bonev stressed that these measures address a long-standing crisis in Sofia’s parking system, with existing arrangements heavily favoring institutions that claim so-called “security zones” to monopolize public parking spaces, leading to the loss of hundreds of parking spots.

The “Spasi Sofia” group is currently preparing to submit this comprehensive reform proposal to the municipal council and expects political negotiations to follow. Their goal is to finally bring order and fairness to Sofia’s chaotic parking situation.