In Spain’s major cities, a lack of free parking spaces on the streets is common. This is due to the high number of vehicles, as well as the creation of regulated parking spaces or parking spaces reserved for residents.
In Valencia, it is therefore not uncommon to find cars parked in double rows for years, especially at night. While this practice violates traffic regulations, the parked vehicles are usually without the handbrake engaged.
Why do Valencians park this way? The answer is simple: As @elhectorwtf demonstrates in a TikTok video, Valencians leave their cars without the handbrake on so that others parking in battery parking spaces can remove their vehicle by simply pushing it in front of them.
In other words, in Valencia, it is very common to see rows of cars in front of battery parking spaces because the city is flat and there is little risk of a vehicle moving on its own. This unusual practice contributes to increasing the number of available parking spaces on the streets.
What regulated parking spaces are there in Valencia? According to the Valencia City Council website, there are two different types of regulated parking spaces. The first is the blue zone, open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Within this zone, there is a division between the general rate zone and the central zone.
The second regulated parking area is the orange zone, which is reserved exclusively for residents with a valid parking permit all year round. However, non-residents are also permitted to park there from Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
@elhectorwtf Curiosidad a la hora de aparcar en #Valencia 🚗🚙 ##parati##Curiosidad##frenoDeMano##ciudad##interesante##cultura ♬ sonido original – HÉCTOR
What are the rates for each regulated parking space? In the general blue zone, the minimum rate is €0.30 for 25 minutes. After that, the hourly rate is €0.80, and the maximum rate for two hours is €1.50. In the blue zone of the city center, you must pay a minimum rate of €0.55 for 25 minutes, followed by €1 per hour, while the maximum cost for two hours is €1.70.
In the orange zone, the rate for non-residents is €1.10 for 25 minutes (minimum price), €2.10 per hour, and €3.30 after two hours (maximum). For residents, the monthly cost is €7.18.
