Free parking in Split is getting harder to find.
Many drivers in Split were surprised when they realized that another free parking area near the centre of the city has disappeared. It happened at the southern sidewalk of Put Firula, stretching from the entrance of the Firule Tennis Centre to the street which leads to the Zenta port, and includes the parking spaces within the tennis complex, which is being managed by the Sports Facilities public institution, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on September 17, 2015.
According to Serđan Guštin, director of the Sports Facilities, in total there are 59 parking spaces for cars, five for motorcycles, and three spaces for vehicles of persons with disabilities. The price of parking is five kuna per hour, while a day ticket can be purchased for 50 kuna. "These areas have long been used for parking, and we have now imposed order on the parking of vehicles, which has increased the safety of traffic on the eastern part of the Put Firula", said Guštin and added that parking is being charged from 7 am to 11 pm.
The decision to start charging for the parking has been supported by the Ministry of Interior and by the Split mayor Ivo Baldasar, after which the charging system was put into operation.
Parking is being charged by three employees of the Sports Facilities, but Guštin said that next year automation of the charging system will be introduced. Due to the crowds of visitors to southern parts of the city during the tourist season, the director expects solid revenue from the charging of parking in Firule. "In this area, during the last three months, you could not find a free parking space. There were so many swimmers, guests... anyway, why should not we use it", said Guštin.
It is still not known whether his conclusion will be supported by drivers who have less and less free parking spaces even outside the city centre. According to unofficial rumours, the project on the Put Firula will not be the last one in the current "drive" to turn free parking spaces into revenue streams. It can be expected that in the near future there will be almost no free parking spaces in Split at all.
