Edward W. Baranauskas has contributed to BRIDGES in previous publications. Mr. Baranauskas traveled to Lithuania this past summer bringing back with him many new memories of today's Lithuania.

Vilnius and the Parking Solution

A motorist finds a "boot" locked on his tire for a parking violation. Photo: Edward Baranauskas

I visited Lithuania several times during the Soviet period. There was no problem, then, for the motorist trying to find a parking space in Vilnius; probably because automobiles were few in numbers. There were no time limits for parking, either. I remember how surprised my relatives were when I told them that the average motorist in America had to pay to park their cars in certain areas of most cities. I was told there was never such a practice in the Soviet Union. My, how times have changed since the "good old Soviet days."

Since my last visit to Vilnius two years ago, I was impressed with the number of automobiles clogging its streets and highways. Bumper to bumper traffic seemed commonplace, more so during the rush hour. One of my relatives thought that there were perhaps ten times more cars driving around Vilnius today than there were in the pre-independence days.

I noticed one change that pleasantly surprised me. Motorists must now pay for the privilege of parking in the Old Town and the bustling center of the city, where most of the commercial and government businesses take place. This parking fee only applies to these two congested areas, while the rest of Vilnius is not affected.

One afternoon, my relatives and I went to have dinner at Ritos Smukle (Ritaҳ Tavern), an affordable restaurant by Lithuanian standards, owned and operated by a former Chicago resident, Rita Dapkus. After driving around, we finally found a vacant spot to leave the car. I noticed there were no parking meters at the curbs to help locate where to park; as many of us are familiar with back home. Instead, each space is clearly marked off with painted white lines.

One of my relatives excused himself, and returned in a minute or so with a piece of paper he placed inside the car, on top of the driverҳ side of the dashboard. He explained that it was a receipt for the parking fee he had to pay, with large numbers indicating the time of expiration. I noticed a gentleman wearing a sleeveless or colored vest was walking around, looking through the windshield of each car, and checking the time on each receipt. This procedure was something new to me.

I asked my relatives many questions during dinner about how this parking system works. First, the motorist must buy a parking card, which is available at many of the newsstands or kiosks that are scattered throughout the city. Depending on how many times you wish to park, the cost is either 25 or 50 litas. The charge for one-half hour of parking is one litas, and for one hour it is two litas. In figuring out this fee in U.S. currency, since the exchange rate is four litas to one U.S. dollar, the parking charge is 50 cents for one hour.

Electronic machines, about the same height as the meters we see at home, are located at each parking area. Each time the card is inserted, the total unused time can be seen on a small screen. After pressing a button to indicate how many half-hours you wish to park, a piece of paper slips out that shows the time of day and the exact time the parking limit expires.

If the attendant does not see the receipt on top of the dashboard or if the time limit has exceeded, he notifies his superiors. Another man arrives to install and lock a boot on the left, front tire; so, that the vehicle cannot be moved. There is a telephone number on it for the unlucky motorist to call and have the boot removed.

This experience results in a total fine of 100 litas: 50 for the manҳ services to come and remove the boot, and another 50 for the parking violation. The fine can either be paid in full right there, for which he will be given an official statement showing payment. If he cannot pay then, he will be given one month to pay the fine at the Lietuvos Taupomasis Bankas (Lithuanian Savings Bank). If this is not complied with, then the police will take the person's driver's license.

After we left the restaurant, I was surprised to see the car parked next to ours with a boot locked on the left, front wheel. The owner was really upset when he saw that. He claimed he forgot to put the parking receipt on top of the dashboard, as required. As we drove away, he was waiting to have the boot removed.

Credit must be given to the Vilnius authorities for putting in place such an organized parking system. Rules are strictly enforced, the cost to the motorist discourages all-day parking, and this gives the use of mass transit a big boost. The big winner is the city treasury, which gets some much needed revenue.

Perhaps some of the cities in the United States, who are looking for additional revenue, should patter their parking rules after Vilnius model.