Russia plans major overhaul of parking fees amid payment chaos in Moscow

Moscow residents struggled to pay for parking in early March after mobile internet restrictions disrupted payment apps. City officials advised using SMS or completing transactions by the end of the day as a temporary fix. Meanwhile, the government is now pushing for changes to how parking fees are managed across Russia. The current system allows regions to set their own rules. In Moscow, drivers must pay within five minutes of parking, with a five-minute grace period after their session ends. St. Petersburg follows a similar approach but offers a longer 10-minute buffer once the paid time expires. Both cities have also raised fees—Moscow's central district now charges up to 380 rubles per hour, while St. Petersburg's central zone costs 210 rubles.

Efforts to standardise parking fees nationwide in February 2024 failed after regional authorities rejected the plan. Since then, cities have kept control over pricing and enforcement, leading to ongoing differences in costs and regulations.

Now, the Ministry of Transport is working on a new proposal. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered a report by June 1 on introducing a continuous payment mechanism for parking. The aim is to improve payment discipline and reduce fines. The ministry will also draft legal changes to secure parking fees more effectively. If approved, the new system would replace the current regional approach with a unified method for handling parking payments. The government expects the changes to simplify compliance and cut down on disputes over fines. A final decision will depend on the ministry's findings due next month.