Most of the sidewalks in Chisinau are daily turned into parking places and thus become impassable for pedestrians. The improper management of parking spaces affects the quality of life in the city. There are no traffic signs about on-street parking, Stanislav Ghiletski, expert of the Institute for European Politics and Reforms, said in public hearings on a draft decision concerning the lack of public areas for pedestrians held in the evening of September 26, IPN reports.

Stanislav Ghiletski said the decision that contains also recommendations was drafted as a result of a questionnaire that involved almost 200 inhabitants of Chisinau. The residents of Chisinau noted that the public areas are full of traffic owing to the lack of roads markings and signs about the parking method recommended by the authorities. “Usually, the parking method is left to the discretion of drivers who often violate the markings that bans them from parking on that part of the street,” stated the expert.

According to Stanislav Ghiletski, among the proposals for returning the sidewalks to pedestrians
are the appropriate marking and signaling of parking places, installation of barriers and gradual switchover to parallel parking. The parking signs set up in Chisinau should be reviewed and the authorities should decide the exact parking method. There is also no marking to regulate on-street parking.

The expert considers the installation of metallic bars would be the most efficient method of making the drivers more disciplined and of preventing parking on sidewalks. “Besides the fact that parking places are not enough in Chisinau, the roadway is also not used efficiently by drivers. These do not know where and how to park and when one parks illegally, others follow him,” concluded Stanislav Ghiletski.

The decision was drafted with the aim of helping the local public authorities to identify solutions to recover the sidewalks for pedestrians. The document will be submitted to the Chisinau Municipal Council for consideration.