Bucharest: Public debate over planned downtown access car tax

The Bucharest Municipality would like to introduce a car access tax for downtown city, as well as close down all free or illegal parking spots in the Romanian capital. These are two of the measures in a plan the Bucharest City Hall launched on Monday for public debate, local Hotnews.ro reported. The tax was previously included in a 2008 Air Quality Management Program, which was however never enforced. The new plan now under public debate also includes separate lanes for public transport, bike lanes, smart traffic management systems, all in an attempt to improve air quality in Bucharest. Participants to the plan’s launch event also reclaimed the lack of walking space as parked cars occupy most sidewalks. Car sharing could reduce traffic by 25% in Bucharest, big cities editor@romania-insider.com