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Naucalpan parking meter fees suspended amid merchant complaints

Naucalpan parking meter fees suspended amid merchant complaints

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Merchants in Naucalpan's Ciudad Satélite report that parking meter fees have been suspended two months after their implementation.
  • Motorists are reportedly not receiving fines for not paying, though fines are issued for parking in no-parking zones.
  • Residents have previously complained about the inconvenient placement of payment machines and the overall organization of the system.

Merchants in Ciudad Satélite, Naucalpan, have reported the suspension of parking meter fees in the Zona Azul, just two months after the system's introduction. The Naucalpan City Council had not provided a response by the time of publication.

The police are not issuing fines if you park in the marked spots and do not pay the parking meter. They are only issuing fines if you park where it says: no parking.

— AzucenaA merchant in Ciudad Satélite describes the current enforcement of parking regulations.

Local merchants stated they are awaiting official information regarding a potential suspension or modification of the program. Currently, drivers who do not pay the parking fees are reportedly not being fined, although penalties are still applied for parking in restricted areas. This situation has led to uncertainty among both merchants and drivers.

Since the program's launch, residents have voiced concerns about organizational issues, particularly the inconvenient placement of payment machines. One resident noted having to walk a considerable distance to find a machine, criticizing the system's planning. Another resident acknowledged that the system brought order to parking spaces, which were previously chaotic, but questioned the allocation of the collected funds, especially if visible improvements in traffic flow are not apparent.

I parked on the other corner and the only machine there is on this corner, there is no other machine. It's poorly planned, you have to walk a lot to pay.

— IgnacioIgnacio, a resident of Ciudad Satélite, expresses frustration with the machine placement.

Merchants also observed a decrease in the number of vehicles in the area following the implementation of parking meters, which coincided with a reported drop in customer numbers. The Naucalpan government stated that the parking meter program is part of efforts to regulate public space usage, aiming to prevent private appropriation of parking spots and curb extortion by informal parking attendants.

The fact that they charge and you don't see a change, especially in traffic flow, I disagree. What I do agree with: there is more order, and above all, because the spaces are now marked for vehicles, because before everyone parked as they wanted and as they could.

— Jorge BeltránJorge Beltrán, a resident and customer, shares his mixed feelings about the parking system.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.