Lower Square car park now with €3 fee
car park
04 Apr 2023
/ 23:54
CORFU. The Regional Authority still has not sealed off the car park, while thousands of visitors are expected on the island for Easter.
While Easter is approaching and the available parking spaces are not sufficient in any case, an unprecedented situation has been created in the municipal car park in the Lower Square.
The Central Corfu Municipality finally put the car park into operation from Monday afternoon with a fee of €3, even though the Ionian Islands Regional Authority has not yet sealed it off, as the Transport Service had inspected the area and found several things incomplete. The decision to close the car park was taken on 7 March and it had to be implemented within 1 month, but it has not yet been implemented.
Appeal to Decentralised Administration
In the meantime, the Municipality decided to put it into operation in its new form. Those responsible told Enimerosi that the Municipality has complied with all the observations of the Regional Authority's inspection report.
In fact, the Finance Committee decided unanimously last week to file an appeal to the Decentralised Administration against the decision of the Deputy Regional Governor to seal off the area. However, the Decentralised Administration has one month to make a decision and we are just before Easter.
According to the Deputy Regional Governor for Corfu Kostas Zorbas, the Regional Authority has until Monday 10 April to seal off the area. In the meantime, the Municipality has already submitted a request to the Regional Authority for another inspection, which has not been answered yet. However, in order for the car park to operate, it must first be sealed off, as Mr. Zorbas told Enimerosi.
"Initially cars will have to be removed from the car park before it can be sealed off. After it has been inspected again, it will be announced that it can operate and licence will be granted," he said.
It is worth noting that the inspection by the responsible service was carried out last June while the car park was still under construction, as the Deputy Mayor for Finance Giorgos Pantelios told Enimerosi. "The inspection was carried out while the car park was under construction. What was pointed out has been taken care of and we have requested that the service's team come to inspect the area again. They have not responded to us. We cannot wait any further. The car park has started operating. We have permission," he added.
Payment at the exit
The car park will now operate with a fee of €3. When entering the area, drivers will receive a parking receipt. Payment is made at the machine at the exit of the car park with cash or card with the parking receipt cut at the entrance. When leaving, drivers show the receipt to the camera in order for the bar to open the bar.
The available spaces, as explained by Mr. Pantelios, are 198, 14 of which are for people with special needs with free entry. A basic requirement is the possession of a parking card for people with special needs issued through the Municipality. According to Mr. Pantelios, requests for the issuance of the card can be submitted by citizens with special needs from all over the island, in order to park freely in the car park.
Change of use
It is worth noting, however, that there is still an important decision that needs to be taken by the Municipal Council, which concerns the change of use of the area, from public to controlled parking. In fact, the issue has been on the agenda several times, without ever actually being discussed. Last time it was withdrawn because it had not even received the approval of the Quality of Life Committee.
Permanent residents
"What is happening must not have happened in any other part of the world," the Permanent Residents' Association Vice President Panayiotis Petrou told Enimerosi. "Right now, the car park has started operating with a ticket without a licence. Since yesterday afternoon, those residents who already had their vehicles parked inside will have to pay €3 when leaving. Meanwhile, there is no response from the Municipality to the request of the permanent residents for parking spaces to decongest Cambielo which also creates safety issues."
The Central Corfu Municipality finally put the car park into operation from Monday afternoon with a fee of €3, even though the Ionian Islands Regional Authority has not yet sealed it off, as the Transport Service had inspected the area and found several things incomplete. The decision to close the car park was taken on 7 March and it had to be implemented within 1 month, but it has not yet been implemented.
Appeal to Decentralised Administration
In the meantime, the Municipality decided to put it into operation in its new form. Those responsible told Enimerosi that the Municipality has complied with all the observations of the Regional Authority's inspection report.
In fact, the Finance Committee decided unanimously last week to file an appeal to the Decentralised Administration against the decision of the Deputy Regional Governor to seal off the area. However, the Decentralised Administration has one month to make a decision and we are just before Easter.
According to the Deputy Regional Governor for Corfu Kostas Zorbas, the Regional Authority has until Monday 10 April to seal off the area. In the meantime, the Municipality has already submitted a request to the Regional Authority for another inspection, which has not been answered yet. However, in order for the car park to operate, it must first be sealed off, as Mr. Zorbas told Enimerosi.
"Initially cars will have to be removed from the car park before it can be sealed off. After it has been inspected again, it will be announced that it can operate and licence will be granted," he said.
It is worth noting that the inspection by the responsible service was carried out last June while the car park was still under construction, as the Deputy Mayor for Finance Giorgos Pantelios told Enimerosi. "The inspection was carried out while the car park was under construction. What was pointed out has been taken care of and we have requested that the service's team come to inspect the area again. They have not responded to us. We cannot wait any further. The car park has started operating. We have permission," he added.
Payment at the exit
The car park will now operate with a fee of €3. When entering the area, drivers will receive a parking receipt. Payment is made at the machine at the exit of the car park with cash or card with the parking receipt cut at the entrance. When leaving, drivers show the receipt to the camera in order for the bar to open the bar.
The available spaces, as explained by Mr. Pantelios, are 198, 14 of which are for people with special needs with free entry. A basic requirement is the possession of a parking card for people with special needs issued through the Municipality. According to Mr. Pantelios, requests for the issuance of the card can be submitted by citizens with special needs from all over the island, in order to park freely in the car park.
Change of use
It is worth noting, however, that there is still an important decision that needs to be taken by the Municipal Council, which concerns the change of use of the area, from public to controlled parking. In fact, the issue has been on the agenda several times, without ever actually being discussed. Last time it was withdrawn because it had not even received the approval of the Quality of Life Committee.
Permanent residents
"What is happening must not have happened in any other part of the world," the Permanent Residents' Association Vice President Panayiotis Petrou told Enimerosi. "Right now, the car park has started operating with a ticket without a licence. Since yesterday afternoon, those residents who already had their vehicles parked inside will have to pay €3 when leaving. Meanwhile, there is no response from the Municipality to the request of the permanent residents for parking spaces to decongest Cambielo which also creates safety issues."
