Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Starting July 1, 2025, Bruges raises 30-minute parking from €0.10 to €1.00 to stop abuse. Mayor Dirk De Fauw promotes alternatives like free “Shop & Go” and ’t Zand garage.
As VRT News reported, starting on July 1, 2025, the city of Bruges will change how it handles short-term parking in the city centre. The cost of parking for just 30 minutes will jump from €0.10 to €1.00. They mentioned that this big price increase is meant to stop people from misusing the current cheap parking system.
According to Mayor Dirk De Fauw, the low cost has caused problems. Drivers have been parking for hours by going back to the meter every 30 minutes and paying a small amount. This lets them keep prime parking spots in the busy city centre all day for under €3. He mentioned that this goes against the idea of short-term parking, which is supposed to help people make quick visits and keep parking spaces available for everyone.
Will Bruges’ new €1 parking fee improve city centre traffic and access?
The new parking prices are part of a plan by Bruges to manage parking better. The city wants short-term parking to be used the right way. By making it more expensive to keep parking in 30-minute blocks, the city hopes people won’t stay parked for a long time in the centre.
Officials mentioned that the goal is to get drivers who need to park for a long time to use the underground or outer parking areas. This should help traffic move better, reduce traffic jams from people looking for parking, and help local businesses by making it easier for shoppers and visitors to find parking spots.
If the city council says yes, the cost for 30 minutes of parking will go up to €1.00 in July 2025. Mayor Dirk De Fauw says people can avoid the new fees. One way is “Shop & Go,” where you can park for free for 30 minutes in special red spots.
The city plans to add more of these spots. The mayor mentioned that people can park for free for an hour in the underground garage at ’t Zand. This helps get to the city centre without causing traffic.
