IMPORTANT: The information given in this chapter is from December 2009; regularly check the Online Survival Guide for updates!

Parking is one of the biggest infrastructure issues in the city. Because there are insufficient parking meters, cars are parked everywhere including on sidewalks, in cross walks, at bus stops and where ‘No Parking’ signs are clearly posted! To make things worse, there is a lot of confusion about towing.  Since new regulations were recently announced, a lot more cars are being towed. To help you (and us) make some sense of the whole issue, we called the police directly; below you will find what we learned.

There are several fees you will have to pay for a violation: the lifting, towing and storage fees (listed below by sector) are different in each sector! But in addition to these fees, the police will fine you personally for the violation and will give you penalty points on your licence: Personal violation fee: RON 216 (or RON 108 if paid within 24 hours) + 3 Penalty Points.

You will need several documents to retrieve your vehicle: the vehicle registration, personal identification (passport, visa card, or national ID), and the driver’s license of the person responsible for the violation.

Sector 1
Storage Facility
Address: Aleea Matelotilor Nr. 31-43
Phone: +40 021 95 40 or +40 021 66 76 772; +40 021 66 76 772
Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00-22:00; Sunday 8:00-1400
For violations in Sector 1, here are the fines:
Lifting fee: RON 200 + VAT;
Transport fee: RON 200 + VAT;
Storage fee for vehicles less than 3.5 metric tons: RON 300 + VAT;
Storage fee for vehicles more than 3.5 metric tons: RON 400 + VAT.
The lifting, transport and storage of vehicles happens 24/7. After a period of 30 days, unclaimed vehicles will be declared abandoned and therefore property of the sector, and are likely to be sold for revenue.

Sector 2
Storage Facility
Address: Fabricii St. Nr. 2
Phone: +40 021 310 45 90; +40 021 310 45 90
Schedule: None Given
At the gate you will have to present your identification (residency permit, passport, national ID) and they will take down your data. Then you can enter the storage house, and retrieve your vehicle. The fines are as follow:
Lifting fee: RON 130 + VAT
Transport fee: RON 130 + VAT
Storage fee: RON 180 + VAT

Sector 3
Storage Facility
Address: Sos. Dudesti, Pantelimon Nr. 2– 6
Phone: +40 021 95 43; +40 021 96 40; or +40 0761 118 976; +40 0761 118 976
Schedule: None Given
The fines are as follow:
Lifting fee: RON 200 + VAT
Transport fee: RON 150 + VAT
Storage fee: RON 150 + VAT

Sectors 4 and 5
At the time of publication, these sectors did not have a parking violation system implemented, but you can check the Online Survival Guide for updates! Just search for ‘Towing’.

Sector 6
Storage Facility
Address: Drumul Mânăstirea Văratec, Nr. 14-16
Phone: +40 021 95 46
Schedule: None Given
The fines are as follow:
Lifting fee: RON 150 + VAT
Transport fee: RON 150 + VAT
Storage fee: RON 200 + VAT per day

If you’ve paid for a parking space and someone parked there, call the institution, company, or person that gave you the parking space first. There is a parking office in the jurisdiction of every sector. Or, you can use the Romanian method: stop your car next to the vehicle in your spot and simply honk your horn until they come and move their car. It is surprisingly effective. If they don’t come, or it happens more than once, lift up their windshield wipers: this will let them know they are in the wrong spot!
You can also call the police in your sector to report the violation: they probably won’t tow the car (because they tow cars based on a pre-determined plan), but they may fine them.

And remember, always call the police in your sector if your car is missing; if it wasn’t towed, it is probably stolen!

HINT: You can find the numbers for Police Stations in each sector in the Emergency Telephone Numbers Section!