Changes may be coming to Rīga parking regulations

The most expensive parking fee charged by municipal public transport company "Rīgas satiksme" (RS) for parking on the street and in its dedicated car parks is in the so-called 'R zone', or Old Riga. This does not apply to electric cars, which can park here and in other RS parking lots free of charge. And this is exactly what the municipality is currently preparing to change.

Riga City Council does not want to talk about specific plans yet, because they are still only at the discussion stage, and not even a draft document has been created yet - only a vision that has been discussed in negotiations with the parties involved. However, Latvian Television says it has has unofficially become familiar with the vision under discussion.

According to LTV, the city council intends to gradually – by 20% next year, another 10% the year after – raise the prices of all "Rīgas satiksme" parking lots, which have not been reviewed for 10 years. The zones would also be expanded. Namely, the expensive R zone would expand from the Old Town towards the centre, and accordingly the other zones would also expand outwards from the centre.

From 2027, electric cars would only be allowed to park for one hour free of charge in the city center, or zones A and B. Currently their stays are unlimited in duration. 

After this hour, they will be charged a fee, which will be discounted for the first few years, but from 2030 it will be the same as for other cars.

In Zone R, both electric and conventional cars should pay the same rate starting next year. This is because the city center has now become a kind of free parking lot for electric cars.

"Finding a free space [in the centre] is almost impossible. This is most evident in zone A, also in zone B, where the occupancy rate is 90–95% in certain streets. It is basically impossible to park a car. This shows that paid parking as a service does not function. The fact that we have more electric cars in RS parking lots, if we talk about electric cars, was known years ago," said Marta Kotello ("Progressives"), Chairwoman of the Riga City Council's Traffic and Transport Affairs Committee.

"Every month, the number of electric cars in our "Rīgas satiksme" parking lots is increasing. If we talk about the Old Town, then in the Old Town, more than 40% of them are electric cars in February. In zone A, it is 30–35%, in zone B, it is up to 30%, and the further away, the fewer of these electric cars are parked. Which shows that it is clear that everyone who wants to enter the center with an electric car - they come, park, and, taking into account that there is no fee, perceive this place as a permanent parking lot," said Jānis Golubevs, a member of the board of "Rīgas satiksme". 

"We see that an electric car has been parked for a week, covered in snow, and we can't clean the parking lot. That's the current situation, unfortunately."

The Electric Car Association agrees that restrictions should be introduced over time, but they believe it is being done too quickly. For many electric car owners, free parking was the most important argument in choosing this mode of transport, emphasized Jānis Bekers, a member of the board of the Latvian Electric Car Association.

"That's also what worries us. Cutting it off with one wave of the hand - it creates a feeling that you can't rely on [the council], and it reduces the motivation for other people to switch to environmentally friendly transport. It can't be cut off in one day or in a few months. For people who have bought cars, it's not a short-term purchase. It's a long-term purchase, and people have counted on it," Bekers pointed out. 

"We are still looking for the best solution that would be more or less acceptable to all parties. The work is still ongoing. We have gone through a round of negotiations with the parties involved. The transition will be gradual in any case. Others may not call it gradual, but in no case are changes planned that will completely cut off these privileges," noted Kotello.

The "City for People" NGO also emphasized that parking regulations in Riga are outdated and should be changed. First, by restricting electric cars. Second, by creating a dynamic pricing policy.

The drivers surveyed, including electric car owners, also acknowledged that restrictions should be introduced.

"A situation where you can park for an unlimited time for free is unacceptable. It could be a matter of a shorter time and, of course, their pricing policy should be reviewed, because the pricing policy currently lags behind reality. The price should be such that there is a free space. In our opinion, a dynamic pricing policy. They review the price 2-3 times a year and see what happens. If parking spaces are free, they lower the price. If there are no parking spaces, they increase the price," said Kārlis Krēķis, a member of the board of "City for People".

Members of the public addressed by LTV also said some reorganization of parking rules was required. a delivery driver said his job was challenging in the centre of the city due to the lack of parking spaces. The owner of a car with an electric and internal combustion engine car said some kind of restriction is needed such as a time limit for electric cars\

Nauris Brikmanis, a musician and electric car driver told LTV: "I think it's absolutely fair about the Old Town. I personally think that the Old Town has been turned into a big parking lot and it shouldn't be. If you have to walk there, take a walk. We have such a beautiful old town, why turn it into a car park? I think restrictions would be good there. As for the other zones, I would say it's not cool. I hope they don't change it! I just hope."