Normunds, a resident of Krāsotāju Street, told LTV that a mystery artist had drawn white lines on the street for their car only. When Normunds parked over the lines, he got a note in the window: "Please move your vehicle as soon as possible in accordance with the Cabinet's traffic regulations, observing the line marking the borders of vehicle parking."
The self-proclaimed law-abiding citizen, however, had not counted on the fact that he or she too had breached regulations.
According to Rīga City Council Transport Department bureau chair Jānis Vaivods, this parking solution classifies as urban hooliganism, subject to an administrative penalty. The municipal police agree.
“It is evident here that lines have been painted arbitrarily and that an administrative infringement process has been initiated. But at the same time, it should be noted that there is no new parking place created or anything like that, because cars are permitted to stand there,” said Toms Sadovskis, spokesman of Riga Municipal Police.
“But in any case, arbitrary lines must not be painted. Every driver can park their cars there,” Sadovskis said.
The aspiring painter did not answer the phone indicated on the note.
The two municipal authorities warned that self-initiative will not solve the situation. If anyone decides it is time to draw the line when it comes to parking issues, the line should not go on the street.
"As far as courtyards are concerned, it is a matter of the landowner how they want to organize traffic on their own property. As far as the red lines of the street are concerned, it is a publicly accessible room that has now been handed over to all citizens. If someone wants to book a place for themselves, it goes through a procedure, but it's already for a fee. We request colleagues in Rīgas Satiksme to set up a certain kind of parking space, but the applicant has to pay for it," said Vaivods.
