site.btaSofia Deputy Mayor Meets Protest Organizers over Parking Zone Changes

Sofia Deputy Mayor for Transport and Urban Mobility Viktor Chaushev met with the organizers of the protest against the planned changes related to the city’s paid parking zones, Sofia Municipality said in a press release on Sunday. The protesters demand the withdrawal of amendments to Sofia Municipality’s Ordinance on Traffic Organization, which expand paid parking zones and increase parking fees and subscription rates.

The two sides agreed to continue the dialogue later in November at a new meeting.

The Municipality said it understands citizens’ concerns but stressed that paid parking is a tool for regulating traffic and ensuring an orderly urban environment, not a punitive measure. The expansion of paid zones, it said, is carried out only in areas with proven parking pressure to secure spaces for local residents.

According to the local authority, for the first time, revenue from local parking permits will be returned directly to the districts where it is collected to fund improvements to sidewalks, street infrastructure, lighting, and pedestrian areas. Experience from existing zones shows that initial scepticism usually decreases as residents begin to see more orderly parking and more available spaces, the Municipality added.

According to Sofia Municipality, the meeting with protest organizers was constructive, with participants distancing themselves from attempts to use the protest for political purposes. At the next meeting, organizers will present priority infrastructure projects to be financed with revenue from local parking, which districts will begin receiving in 2026.

The Municipality reaffirmed that transparent, phased implementation of the parking reform will continue, alongside sustained dialogue with citizens.