Privatization of parking management in Greece

Abstract

In the city of Patras, which is the third most populated city in Greece, a new comprehensive parking management system was introduced in 1993. The main characteristics of the system are: 1. (1) the introduction of paid parking for all legal or 'illegal-possible' places available in the city centre;2. (2) the installation of appropriate equipment for ticket issuing;3. (3) the designation of street parking in three different zones (Orange Green Red zone) each with a different pricing policy. The system is operated by a private company to which the right to organize and administer the whole parking operation of the city has been given. This innovation consists of a sort of 'privatization' of the parking management system. The paper proceeds to give an assessment of the scheme on the basis of a 'before-and-after' study. It is concluded that the new parking measures contributed to a significant improvement of the parking situation in the city of Patras. This idea of 'privatizing' the whole parking enterprise is gaining ground in Greece: five or six cities are proceeding in the same direction, and attempts are being made to promote the system for the two largest cities of the country, ie Athens and Thessaloniki.