Since 1993, the city has not increased the prices for residents' parking permits; Bonn residents pay 30.70 euros a year. That will change in 2023. From March 1, it will cost 15 euros per month, and from March 1, 2024, it will be 30 euros per month. For residents with a special Bonn ID (low-income), the Office for Social Affairs and Housing will pay 75 percent of the fees. That is the proposal of the city administration, on which now the council is to decide. The coalition is in favor of the fee increase.

The current prices do not meet the requirements for sustainable use of public space, according to the city. The population is growing and there is only limited space in Bonn. Parking cars and people looking for parking spaces are putting a strain on the streets. Increasing prices is an instrument to reduce the number of cars in cities, it said. In addition, the measure is an important component of the mobility turnaround. For people who do not depend on a car, Bonn plans to strengthen alternatives such as the bicycle, car sharing or public transport.

With the new rules and prices, the city wants car owners to finance the maintenance of parking spaces themselves. Currently, they are paid mainly from the city budget. According to the city, the additional revenue from the price increases would flow into climate protection and mobility change.

Marc Lehner (name changed by the editors) feels the parking situation in Bonn is strained. He has to park in south Bonn. "Especially on Sundays and holidays or late in the evening, you can't find anything. And that's despite the fact that many people don't even park as they should," he complains. He doesn't like the idea of the rising fees. Elsewhere, he would be able to rent his own parking space for 30 euros a month. The train is unreliable and therefore not an alternative, he says.

"I think it's very crowded in Bonn," says student Ann-Christin Bäumker. No-parking signs, construction sites, two-hour parking lots: In her opinion, you have to pay a lot of attention to where you park or re-park. She hardly notices any non-resident parkers, most have the necessary resident's permit. "But we can't add another ten cars with resident passes, otherwise our parking system here is destroyed," she says. Bäumker thinks the current price is more than fair, but not the increases: "The locals are already coming to terms with all the city's requirements and changes. Where else are you supposed to park your car? We park in areas designated for that purpose, who cares?" Paul Meyer (name changed by editor) has his office in south Bonn. "I don't have a parking permit. I usually just park somewhere where there is space," he says. So far, he has not received a fine.

A man from Bonn has just parked his SUV. He was lucky; the parking spaces in the south of Bonn are not particularly large. "The situation is not easy here," he says. "I think the rising prices for residents' parking permits are unfair. You're not guaranteed a parking space." People will park in the parking spaces without permits and risk a parking ticket. "They then pay once, I pay every month," he says. A midwife in Bonn shares this opinion. "I don't think the regulation is good. I depend on my car and live on the Venusberg," she says. She doesn't agree with the rising prices for residents' parking. "I have to park somewhere, which then gets really expensive every month.”

Orig. text: Maike Velden

Translation: ck