The highest prices will continue to be on Valdštejn Square and Svoboda Square in the historic center, parking there will cost up to 30 crowns per hour after the increase. The city has not changed the parking fees for 15 years. So far, the town hall collects around 2.3 million crowns per year in parking fees. Town hall spokesman Jan Jireš told ČTK today.
On Valdštejn Square and Svobody Square, parking for the first half hour will cost 10 kroner instead of the previous five. The first hour will cost 20 crowns and each subsequent hour will cost 30 crowns, now the rates are 10 and 20 crowns. In other streets, parking will cost 10 crowns for the first hour and 20 crowns for each additional hour. So far, the first half hour costs five crowns, each full hour costs 10 crowns.
Drivers will now have to pay parking fees in the streets in the neighborhood of the 17th November Elementary School, i.e. Smiřické, Linderova and Školní streets. “These streets are part of the city center, so it is not logical that they should not be included in the paid parking. The change is to rectify the unsatisfactory situation where the streets near the school are blocked by cars all day long,” said the spokesperson.
The town hall will also charge for parking in the entire parking lot at the bus station near the Multipurpose Community Center. “Until now, a part of the parking lot near the district court building has been charged, and it did not make sense that a larger part of the area was not charged,” said the spokesperson. The new locations included in the parking regime include 115 parking spaces.
Those who want to park for free near the center will be able to continue to use the parking lot in Na Tobolce street.
From January, the prices of parking cards for people and companies with permanent residence or headquarters in tolled locations will also increase. The card for the first vehicle for one person will cost 1,500 crowns from 1,000 crowns, for the second car it will cost 4,500 crowns, and for the third and each subsequent car it will cost 15,000 crowns. Until now, the price of the parking card for the second and each additional car was 2,000 crowns.
For the newly tolled streets, the city will buy new parking meters that will also allow payment by card. The current devices in Jičín do not allow payment by card, the town hall will gradually replace them. The current options for paying the parking fee via SMS or the ParkSimply and Smart4City applications will remain.
The change in parking fee tariffs is part of the city’s efforts to calm down and regulate traffic in the historic core. Jičín will, for example, strive to ensure that a transit route does not lead through Valdštejn Square, which hundreds of drivers use to shorten their journey from the northern to the southern part of the city. The town hall will also consider the creation of a so-called shared zone, in which it would be possible to enter and park cars and at the same time it would be safe for the movement of pedestrians and cyclists.
