Welcome to Belgrade, where parking in Stari Grad is turning into a nightmare! Starting July 14, a new parking regulation kicks in, dividing Stari Grad into purple, red, and white zones. But it’s not just about colors – parking will now be charged on weekends too, Saturdays from 7 AM to 10 PM, and Sundays from 7 AM to 2 PM. Yes, you read that right, even on Sundays!
The purple zone, expanded to cover part of the old red zone, limits parking to a maximum of 30 minutes with no extensions allowed. The red zone, formerly yellow, limits parking to one hour with an option to extend by an additional 30 minutes. The white zone, previously green, allows parking for up to two hours, with the possibility to extend by another hour.
Prices? One hour in the red zone costs 80 dinars, yellow 65, green 55, and in the purple zone, where parking is limited to 30 minutes, the price is proportional. Electronic daily parking cards cost between 2,000 and 3,000 dinars, but if you pay on time, you get a 50% discount!
Why does this matter? Because residents of Stari Grad have been struggling with parking for years. Locals circle for hours trying to find a spot, and now they have to pay on weekends too, which many see as a direct hit to their wallets. The city tried to fix the problem by tightening rules, but is this really a solution or just more chaos?
The Traffic Secretariat claims the new rules will make it easier to find parking spots, but will that be true or just another reason to get annoyed? Visitors to the city center are now encouraged to use public transport or parking garages, but who wants to take the bus when you can park right outside your favorite café?
In short, Belgraders, get your wallets and patience ready! The new parking regime in Stari Grad is here, and it’s not cheap. And if you think this is the end, wait until you see how it affects your Sunday strolls and nights out.
And hey, if you’re already outraged, share your parking horror stories from Stari Grad – maybe together we can survive this parking hell!
