Anna Klaman, 21 March

Drivers to enjoy free parking in Tuchola’s Wolności square in April but May to see paid parking nearly everywhere

The City Hall in Tuchola selected Apcoa Parking Polska as its contractor to operate the city’s extended paid parking area. The city’s mayor, Tadeusz Kowalski, hopes that the new zone will become operational from May.

Importantly, the city’s collection service will be scrapped as of 31 March, meaning the citizens will have a month or more to park their cars for free in the Wolności Square and along part of Chojnicka Street. The change comes after the city has resolved to stop collecting the fees from April.

- Nothing bad will happen if people can park for free in the Wolności Square for a month or longer, says the city’s mayor, Tadeusz Kowalski. That said, I’d like the larger paid-parking area to go live after the extended May weekend. I am sure everything will work fine, given the successful contractor’s experience as operator.

Where will we pay for parking in Tuchola

Apcoa Parking Polska, the company that came out as a winner, will be managing a paid parking zone covering the following areas:

•             Plac Wolności

•             Sępoleńska

•             Ks. Kreffta, Szkolna

•             Plac Zamkowy

•             Zamkowa

•             Gabrychów

•             Staromiejska

•             Starofarna

•             Rzeźnicka

•             Chojnicka

•             Okrężna

•             Spichlerzna

•             Górna

•             Ks. Wryczy

•             Murowa

•             Tylna

•             Krótka

•             Rycerska

•             Rynkowa

•             Studzienna

•             Podgórna

•             Nowodworskiego

•             Garbary

•             St. Saganowskiego

•             Świecka (until junction with Pocztowa)

•             Dworcowa

•             Pocztowa

Parking rates

Fees will be charged Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. There will be no zone differentiation, with uniform rates to apply across the paid parking area. What rates exactly? We will pay PLN 1 for up to a stay of up to 30 minutes, PLN 2 for the first hour, PL 2.40 for the second hour, and PLN 2.80 for the third hour. The draft resolution also provides for differentiated season ticket rates, with individuals registered as the city’s permanent or temporary residents paying PLN 30 per month, PLN 150 per six months, or PLN 270 per year.

Parking fees will be waived for municipal and technical service vehicles, disability cars, supply vans while unloading their cargo, and taxi drivers while waiting for passengers or collecting fares.

The only free parking spots in Tuchola will remain outside the city’s centre. Finding an unoccupied space in Tuchola is very difficult now, with some leaving their cars parked for an entire day even. Now that money will have to be paid, they will certainly think twice before parking.

The local authority’s plan was to earmark PLN 2,931,000 for the zone until 2025. The winner, Apcoa Parking Polska, offered PLN 2.164.000. Apcoa’s competitor, Grudziądz-based Parking Group¸ offered PLN 3.293.000.