Illegal Parking Blocks Bucharest Trams for an Hour

A BMW parked illegally on tram tracks in Bucharest caused significant disruptions on July 20, blocking tram traffic on line 21 for almost an hour. The incident occurred on Cavafii Vechi street, heading towards Piața Sfântul Gheorghe.

Societatea de Transport București (STB) reported the blockage at 10:42 AM. Service on line 21 resumed at 11:29 AM after the obstructing vehicle was removed. This is not an isolated issue; STB recorded 334 instances of illegal parking causing over 8000 minutes of delay across various lines in February 2025.

STB highlighted that these incidents not only affect public transport but also general traffic in the capital. The company supports local police initiatives to tow illegally parked cars from tram lines and calls for stricter enforcement to prevent such occurrences. The most frequently blocked areas include Strada Episcopiei (line 368), Strada Grigore Cobălcescu (lines 24 and 44), Strada Mecet (line 70), Strada Puțul lui Crăciun (line 42), Calea Moșilor (line 21), and Bulevardul Iuliu Maniu (lines 61, 62, 63).

A similar traffic obstruction happened recently on DN7 near Valea Oltului, where a UK-registered Mercedes was "abandoned" on the road, impeding traffic between Sibiu and Vâlcea.