Feel free to park, SMS billing is illegal

"Two judges, in three cases, decided the same, and the representatives of the city company, of course, deliberately did not appear. A small but symbolically valuable victory, over a company that spends as much as 93 percent of its total income on the salaries of its employees, and from which the citizens and the capital have no benefits," Rakčević assessed
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parking Podgorica, Photo: Luka Zeković
parking Podgorica, Photo: Luka Zeković
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.
Ažurirano: 06.07.2017. 18:14h

The Podgorica Court for Misdemeanors acquitted Luka Rakčević, a councilor in the Capital City Assembly and vice president of the Podgorica Committee of the Citizens' Movement (GP) URA, of the misdemeanor warrant issued to him by the Municipal Police, because he did not pay for the parking service, which can be paid exclusively by SMS at almost all locations in Podgorica by message.

After the Municipal Police issued him a misdemeanor warrant, Rakčević submitted a request for a court decision, on which the court ruled in his favor.

"Two judges, in three cases, decided the same, and the representatives of the city company, of course, deliberately did not appear. A small but symbolically valuable victory, over a company that spends as much as 93 percent of its total income on the salaries of its employees, and from which the citizens and the capital have no benefits," Rakčević assessed.

Rakčević pointed out that several times in the previous few years, he pointed out that the city company "Parking servis", in accordance with the current regulations, does not have the legal right to charge for parking services exclusively via mobile phone (SMS service).

"Neither is a mobile phone recognized by law as a mandatory means of payment for public services, nor are citizens obliged to own one or to (use it) to top up their bill. In those city areas where, in addition to public parking lots, there are devices for charging for the service (parking meters ), that problem has been solved," Rakčević said.

There are only two parking meters in Podgorica, in Balšića Street near the solitaire and in front of the north stand of the City Stadium.

If citizens themselves want to test the legality of misdemeanor orders issued by the Municipal Police, they are obliged to submit a request for a court ruling, and then at subsequent hearings before the Court for Misdemeanors, challenge the validity of charging for parking only by SMS, in parts of the city where there are no payment devices and services (parking meters).

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