Popular Bucharest shopping mall could enforce car park tax even for its shoppers to drive out local piggy backers

The owners of a popular shopping mall in Bucharest consider introducing a parking tax this year which would apply even to its shoppers, but which would mostly target those who live or work in the area, and just 'piggyback' the system. AFI Europe, the company which owns AFI Palace Cotroceni shopping mall in the Drumul Taberei/Cotroceni neighborhood, considers expanding its car park by 400 places, and introducing a parking fee. The existing 2,500 parking places do not seem to be enough on weekends and in winter. “We have seen that many people use the car park but never get into the mall. Many people from Drumul Taberei neighborhood keep their cars in our car park during winter, and so do many who work in nearby offices,” said David Hay, executive director of AFI Europe Romania, quoted by Mediafax. The fee for those who end up shopping in the mall will however be modest, the system is not yet in place. Meanwhile, the owners also consider expanding the shopping mall, as they have had requests from both new retailers, and existing tenants that want to expand. On another front, the developer plans to start construction work on the last two office building nearby the mall, adding to the existing two. Elsewhere in Romania, AFI will finish the cinema in its Ploiesti mall in April this year, and start a new shopping center in Bucurestii Noi in the Romanian capital, as well as a retail park in the Western Romanian city of Arad. Work is ongoing preparing the site in Progresul area of Bucharest, where construction on the office project should start in 2015. editor@romania-insider.com