As of Today, „Green Towtruck“ in Belgrade Protects Green Areas

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Irregularly parked cars on green areas are from now on removed by PUC „Parking Servis“ using the „Green Towtruck“. Three towtrucks which are symbolically marked for this campaign will every day remove the cars left on walkways or those endangering the safety of pedestrians in parks.

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The promotion of the „Green Towtruck“ in Topčiderski park was attended by City Manager Goran Vesić, Head of the Belgrade Communal Police Nikola Ristić and representatives of PUE „Parking Service“: Acting Director Andrija Čupković, Technical Director Vladimir Bogićević and Assistant General Director Radenko Vuković who all emphasized that the safety of children and pedestrians, and keeping the communal order, are priorities of this enterprise.

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According to Goran Vesić, in the promotional period, until the citizens become aware of operation of the new campaign, namely today and tomorrow, „Parking Service“ will not collect fee for removal of cars with the „Green Towtruck“, however, the fines charged by the communal police or communal inspection shall be paid by negligent drivers.

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„We have passed now through the developed part of the park where the children are playing, but some paths and green areas are full of irregularly parked cars. We shall stop such a behaviour of drivers, because the safety of children and pedestrians are priorities of the City of Belgrade. In order to contribute to a more secure and safer traffic and improvement of environment in Belgrade, the integration and joint organization of operations of „Parking Service“, communal inspection and communal police are necessary. „Parking Service“ may remove from green areas a car only if it has a warrant issued by the communal police. Therefore it is planned in the future that along with their workers, in addition to a traffic policeman, should always be present also a communal inspector“, said Vesić.

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Andrija Čupković, Acting Director of „Parking Service“ says that every day to this enterprise applies a large number of citizens, mothers with children, bicyclists, old-age persons, who cannot pass due to negligently parked cars on green areas.

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„We are decisive in our intention to stop such a behaviour, as we have done with the project of wheel clamps for vehicles with foreign registration plates. Three vehicles of the „Green Towtruck“ will operate only for the purpose of environmental protection and we shall return parks to the children and green oases to walkers. Special attention will be paid to the waterfront, children playgrounds, areas adjacent to schools and kindergartens, areas within blocks. Parks are intended for children and recreational sportsmen and we shall not allow that they are turned into parking areas. Although keeping the communal order is the priority of „Parking Service“, our goal is not to implement the restrictive policy and punishing of citizens, but to change the awareness – to appeal to the drivers by appearance of the „Green Towtruck“ alone to pay attention how they park their cars and not to destroy green areas,“- says Čupković.

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The head of the communal police of the City says that the Secretariat of Inspection Affairs often appeals to irresponsible drivers and in coordination with other city services works on establishing and maintaining the communal order.

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In cooperation with the Communal Inspection, we provided an option to citizens to report irregularly parked cars on green areas not only to „Parking Servis“ on phone no. 011/30 35 400, but also to the toll-free number of „Beo-Com Service“ 0800 110 011.

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Upon a call of a citizen, the communal inspection will, when it notices any irregularly parked car, issue the Decision and order to the vehicle owner to remove the same within three minutes. If it still remains parked on a green area, the inspector will issue a warrant for removal of the vehicle under which the „Green Towtruck“ will remove the vehicle to the nearest car pound of „Parking Service“, from which the owners can pick it up, having paid the removal costs.

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PUC „Parking Servis“ is planning in the future to implement in the Towtruck video surveillance system also the „Green Towtruck“ by providing that in a dispatcher centre, in addition to a traffic policemen, there will be also a communal inspector. In this way, the citizens will be able to report more easy negligent drivers, and the towtrucks will respond in a more quick and efficient manner.

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Since „Parking Servis“, as a socially responsible enterprise, wants to contribute to a healthier life in Belgrade, in cooperation with PUC „Greenery - Belgrade“, it launches also the campaign „For a Greener City“ within which, whenever possible, during construction of new parking lots, along with a new parking place, a tree will be also planted.