Imanaliev noted that the current system with low parking fees (only 25 soms per day) leads many drivers to leave their cars for extended periods, sometimes for a week or even a month.
If the city council decides to introduce hourly payments, this will lead to increased parking costs — within 30-50 soms for the first two hours, and then 20 soms for each subsequent hour. In his opinion, this may prompt some citizens to switch to public transport, and in warmer weather, to bicycles and scooters. Such changes, according to the expert, will significantly help alleviate urban traffic.
As a solution to the parking problem in Bishkek, Imanaliev highlighted several key directions:
- expansion of municipal parking lots,
- construction of multi-level parking structures,
- implementation of rotary parking systems,
- expansion of roads and creation of new pockets for cars,
- introduction of hourly payments.
According to him, it is planned to build 2-3 multi-level parking structures in each of the four districts of the city, each of which can accommodate 200 to 300 cars, and in some cases even up to 500.
“An instruction has been received from the management to identify land plots and begin the construction process. Depending on the location, the parking facilities can be multi-level upwards or downwards,” added Imanaliev.
