We tested PAAS residential parking in Bratislava: This is how it works

The Bratislava parking assistant PAAS should bring better parking for residents and clear rules for all. Parking regulation already works in this way in several European capitals and is bringing positive results. We also tried PAAS residential parking in Bratislava.

Alone parking regulation in the capital of Slovakia came into force on January 10 so far in three zones – Tehelné pole, Dvory 4 and Krasňany. Regulation is introduced in the city from scratch, before that nothing like it has been solved.

The situation is complicated and the number of cars is constantly growing, which worsens the parking possibilities for residents – residents with permanent residence in Bratislava. The PAAS system should best serve the inhabitants of the city and one of its main goals is to make it easier for residents to park where they live. Conditions for pedestrians and traffic in the city in general are also to improve.

In order for this to work, the system needs to be high quality and user-friendly at the same time. It is also important that there is no need to prove the purchase of parking cards. Based on data from the real estate cadastre, the system checks the number of issued parking cards for a specific apartment and, after entering the ECV, verifies your relationship with the vehicle.

PAAS residential parking: Types of parking cards, what they are used for and how to obtain them

RESIDENT paas card / 39 euros per year for the first car

A natural person with a demonstrable relationship to the vehicle and a permanent residence in the PAAS regulated zone can park with the resident parking card for an annual fee. It can be obtained online via paaas.sk. All you have to do is register in the system, enter your name and birth number – the system will automatically add additional data from data from state registers. Residents of the first zones will receive 3 months of free parking, so the first resident card will pay them 15 months instead of 12.

BONUS pass card / 10 euros per year

With this card, residents of permanent residence anywhere in Bratislava can park for 2 hours a day in the PAAS regulated zone (with the exception of the most expensive tariff zone A, in the future especially the city center).

Through the mobile application, cardholders purchase a parking ticket for the selected time. The first two hours in one day pay nothing. Time is read in minutes, unused minutes are not transferred). After the free parking period, parking is charged, the minimum amount of one transaction is for a 30-minute ticket, then it is paid every 15 minutes.

VISITORS pass card

You will receive a visitor’s card with the option to provide your visitors with 100 hours a year for free parking if you have a resident pass card. If you do not have an RPK (you park in your own garage or do not have a car), you get 150 hours a year for visitors. Disabled people with a need for assistance are entitled to 500 hours per year for visits.

SUBSCRIPTION pass card

With this card, a holder of a trade or other authorization who has a place of business in the given zone or a natural person who owns real estate there but does not have to have a permanent residence there can park unlimitedly in the PASS regulated zone for a selected fee. The weekly card costs from 12.50 to 50 euros, the monthly from 50 to 200 euros and the annual from 500 to 2000 euros.

Non-residents pay an hourly rate according to the tariff

If you are not a resident, you will pay an hourly rate according to the tariff for the given zone and time. It will be possible to make the payment via mobile applications, parking or at points of sale. Information about the zone and payment options is available not only online, but also on information boards in the streets.

The price per hour of parking varies depending on the zone in which you want to park. It is divided into four tariff bands. You can find the tariff assigned to a specific zone on the map.

Tariff band	price
Tariff band	2,00 EUR/ h
Tariff band B	1,50 EUR/ h
Tariff band C	1,00 EUR/h
Tariff band D	0,50 EUR/ h

PAAS Residential Parking: Who is eligible for the discount?

If you own an electric car, you will automatically receive a 50% discount on hourly parking. Holders of a ŤZP card are entitled to use the parking spaces reserved for them free of charge and are also entitled to a 90% discount on the hourly rate. Shared vehicles registered at the city council have a 100% discount on hourly parking in all toll zones.

We tested how this system works

This may seem confusing at first, but the system is functional and relatively simple. You are informed that you are in the paid zone via a board with basic instructions. We tested the system in Petržalka, in the Dvory 4 section as non-residents.

PAAS also has several client locations where residents can obtain their cards. We went to see it in Petržalka, which was practically empty at the time of our arrival. However, this may not apply all the time, so we recommend purchasing a paas card online.

We pay for parking from the first minute and there are two ways. Either through a payment machine or an application. If you plan to use the machine, you should look for it as soon as possible, because while you are looking for it, there may be a check that will give you a fine.

For this reason, we rather recommend payment through the application. By the way, during the testing we found several vehicles with a ticket stuck, which informs the owner about the fine.

Payment via vending machine

The procedure is very simple. All you have to do is park, find a vending machine (it’s ideal to see its location on the map) and pay. It is necessary to enter all the required data into the machine, such as the license plate of the vehicle, the area in which you park and choose how long you will park. Then you pay the price by card, which depends on the tariff band (see table above).

The machine will issue you a confirmation of payment, but since everything works electronically, the time of parking tickets behind the glass is a thing of the past. Now you don’t have to do anything, parking is paid and you won’t get a fine.

Payment via application

Creating such a payment application is financially demanding, so the city relies on already established solutions. It is possible to use, for example, the application “bmove“, but we chose a solution in the form of the Hopin application, which we already know very well.

The process of registering and filling in all the required information is a bit lengthy, but it is nothing that a normal mortal could not do. The application will guide you through the process. Here you add the ECV of your vehicle and top up your credit (minimum top-up amount is € 5).

Then it’s very easy. Just choose a parking place on the map, the application will automatically show you the price you simply pay from your credit. Of course, it is also possible to extend the parking time. If you stay somewhere, this way you can be sure that you will not get a fine. Another advantage of the application over payment using the machine.

PAAS Residential Parking: Summary

Bratislava showed us that paid parking in the city can be managed technically very well. The instructions are quite clear and anyone can pay for parking. Either via the parking meter or the application directly on the smartphone.

During our test, everything worked without problems. This makes it easier for residents to park directly in front of their place of residence, as confirmed by our test. There were plenty of free parking spaces in the area where we were.