Bratislava motorists who slip up on the rules of the city-wide parking policy, known as PAAS, will soon be given a second chance, after city councillors approved a change turning the first fine in a year into a warning.
The amendment to the city’s property management principles, passed unanimously by the Bratislava City Council last week, means drivers will still receive a penalty notice but will not have to pay it.
“Councillors unanimously approved that the first fine within 365 days is essentially waived,” said Peter Herceg, head of the parking department. “The fine will be delivered, so people will receive a notification that something happened, but at the same time it will state that they do not need to pay it and that it has been forgiven.”
The amount of the fine itself remains unchanged, as it is set by national legislation adopted by parliament. The standard fine is EUR 78. If a driver pays within 15 days of receiving the notice, they can take advantage of a reduced rate and pay EUR 52, which is two-thirds of the original amount.
The move follows experience with the city’s regulated parking scheme, the Bratislava Parking Assistant (PAAS), which officials say shows both high resident satisfaction and strong compliance with parking rules. While Prague records an offence rate of around 10%, in Bratislava it is below 2%.
Practice has also shown that even responsible drivers can make occasional, unintentional mistakes, often under time pressure or after overlooking the expiry of a parking session. Between waiting to collect children, dashing into a shop or handling matters at an office, drivers may simply miss the moment their paid parking runs out.
“It’s once a year,” said Herceg. “After 365 days you get another joker.”
The change also addresses other common situations in which a conscientious resident is caught by an inspection shortly after their parking ticket expires. Already, if an inspection records a vehicle and the system later shows that a ticket was purchased within a few minutes, no fine is issued. Under the new rules, if an inspection captures a vehicle within a few minutes after a valid ticket has expired, the fine will likewise be waived.
Drivers can also avoid paying a fine if their six-month or annual resident or subscription parking card expired within the previous seven days and they renew it within the following week.
“For residents, it’s a benefit,” said Herceg. “And for those who park using parking tickets, there is a tolerance period before the ticket starts and the same tolerance period after it ends.”
He also recommended using parking applications, which already allowed users to end parking sessions early and help prevent unnecessary penalties. (The Slovak Spectator)