Hlavné Námestie (Main Square) is one of pedestrian zones in Bratislava's Old Town. (source: Sme - Jozef Jakubčo)
New regulations on car entry to the historic centre of Bratislava are to be brought in as authorities look to ensure pedestrian safety and limit potential damages to pavements in the area.
The Old Town borough plans to launch a new intelligent entrance management system in the summer with stricter regulations on auto traffic and stays in the very centre of the city.
“The current system is not automated and cannot handle the onslaught of the morning rush hour,” Veronika Gubková, spokesperson for the Old Town mayor’s office, told the TASR newswire. “It also does not provide us with sufficient data needed to adjust rules of entry and safety in the pedestrian zone.”
Cars are not generally permitted in the very historical centre of Bratislava, although residents and companies can apply, for a fee, to local authorities for a permit to drive in the area. Once approved, the vehicle’s registration number is entered into a system shared with the metropolitan police, with a camera system used to manually recognise the car’s number plates controlling entry at three designated points on Židovská and Klobučnícka Streets and Hviezdoslavovo Square.
The new system will be automated and control traffic lights, number plate recognition cameras, view cameras, hydraulically extend bollards and LED information boards.
Authorities will also provide an intuitive web interface, which can be used on for mobiles, for registration, applications for permits can still be made in person at the Citizens’ Service Centre.
