No, Paid Parking Prices in Sofia Haven’t Doubled...Yet: State Media Misleads Citizens

Contrary to reports circulating in the media today, January 5, there have been no changes to the paid parking zones or prices in Sofia. The Center for Urban Mobility confirmed that both the hourly rates and the territorial scope of the zones remain the same. Citizens are urged to verify information through official channels to avoid being misled.

Some media outlets, including state media BNR and BNT, claimed that paid parking in Sofia would double in price and expand to additional neighborhoods. According to those reports, the blue zone would extend beyond the city center to areas including Macedonia Square, Russian Monument Square, Kriva Reka, Ivan Vazov, the lower part of Lozenets, Yavorov, and sections of Oborishte Street. The green zone was said to gradually expand to neighborhoods such as Banishora, Lagera, Reduta, Geo Milev, Iztok, Izgrev, Dianabad, part of Studentski Grad, and part of Poduyane.

These reports also mentioned the introduction of a new yellow zone in Bankya, active only on weekends and holidays, with a rate of 0.50 euros per hour, designed to manage weekend traffic and protect green and pedestrian areas. Electric vehicle incentives, including free parking for the first three hours, were also cited.

However, the Center for Urban Mobility emphasized that all of these changes are not yet in effect. The previous court ruling by the Sofia City Administrative Court in November halted any modifications to the parking regulation, and no adjustments have been applied as of January 5.

Citizens are encouraged to rely on official updates from the Sofia City government and the Center for Urban Mobility to avoid confusion and misinformation.