Romanian MP wants jail for those who illegally take money from people who park in public places

Romanian liberal MP Ovidiu Raetchi said that he would submit to the Parliament a draft bill under which those who illegally take money from people who park their cars in public places may be sent to jail, reports local News.ro. Known as parcagii among Romanians, these people can usually be seen in Bucharest and large cities, where they act like “the masters of the parking”. They spend their time near public parking places in crowded areas and allegedly help people park their cars in these places. However, after they help the driver park his car, they never forget to ask for money in return. They even get aggressive sometimes, especially if the driver refuses to give them money, or if the amount is too small. Under the draft bill proposed by the Romanian MP, these people risk jail sentences of up to two years. However, this would only apply to recidivists. Those who commit this offense for the first time would have to do some community work. Bucharest City Hall plans to build over 9,100 underground parking places Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com