A recent study conducted in a German city has investigated whether illegal parking is economically viable. The study, conducted by the Faculty of Tourism at the Munich University of Applied Sciences, examined the city of Freiburg to determine whether illegal parking is profitable in Germany. The study found that in 2019, there were over 180,000 registered parking violations in Freiburg, including parking in illegal areas such as footpaths and driveways. The researchers aimed to calculate the likelihood of getting caught and the economic viability of illegal parking in different areas of the city.
The study found that illegal parking in the center of Freiburg was economically viable in over half of cases (61.3%), while in the outskirts, it was even more profitable (94.4%). The researchers suggested that increasing the frequency of parking enforcement could be a possible solution, but this would require hiring more personnel, which would increase costs. Additionally, as the cost of catching more violators increases, it becomes economically unfeasible to continue enforcing parking regulations.
Alternatively, the researchers suggested lowering parking fees to make illegal parking less profitable. However, this solution could lead to increased traffic and even more crowded parking areas. The only logical solution, according to the lead researcher, is to increase penalties for illegal parking. Unfortunately, these penalties are regulated by the Federal Penalty Catalogue and cannot be determined by individual cities.
In conclusion, the study highlights the economic viability of illegal parking in Germany and the need for more effective enforcement measures. While increasing penalties may be the most effective solution, it is ultimately up to the federal government to make changes to the current penalty system.
