Parking Meters Vanish from Rostov Streets Over EU Sanctions

The authorities of Rostov have filed a lawsuit against the company that operates the paid parking system in the city. It turned out that some of the parking meters have been removed from the streets due to sanctions, which violates the terms of the agreement signed with the city administration.

The investment agreement to create a system of paid parking in Rostov was concluded in 2015. Under its terms, the investor (Rostovskoye Parkovochnoye Prostranstvo) must transfer all equipment, including parking meters, to the city free of charge after the agreement expires in 2027.

According to the SPARK database, Rostovskoye Parkovochnoye Prostranstvo is owned by Moscow resident Elena Assessorova. The company«s revenue from the paid parking system in Rostov has grown consistently and reached 57.2 million rubles (approximately $572,000 at current rates) in 2024. However, the company has never shown a net profit. The smallest net loss was in 2024 — 25.8 million rubles (approximately $258,000 at current rates).

But some time ago, the company removed some of the parking meters from the streets.

«The investor informed (the Rostov administration) that due to the sanctions imposed by the European Union, the manufacturer of the parking meters has suspended the operation of the licensed software. Therefore, the defendant decided to partially dismantle the non-functioning parking meters to ensure the safety of this equipment,» the Arbitration Court of the Rostov Region told 161.RU.

The city administration did not appreciate this decision. The authorities point out that under the agreement, the investor is also responsible for ensuring the use of the software (SW) of the paid parking system.

«The suspension of the software»s operation cannot be grounds for releasing the investor from the obligations to implement and properly operate the paid parking system and from liability for non-fulfillment of this obligation,« the administration»s lawsuit states.

On this basis, the authorities are asking the court to have the non-working parking meters repaired and returned to the streets of Rostov.

As reported by 161.RU, the maximum fee for paid parking has been set for the first time in the Rostov Region. For categories A and M, it is 50 rubles (approximately $0.50 at current rates) per hour, for category B — 100 rubles (approximately $1 at current rates) per hour, and for other categories — 195 rubles (approximately $1.95 at current rates) per hour. These rates will now be reviewed annually.