Local services
The Municipality of Debrecen plans to modify the Debrecen parking system in two phases, starting on January 1, 2025, and then on July 1, 2025.
Debrecen is a major regional centre. It has now reached a stage where, in addition to the rapid development of roads and transport infrastructure, it needs to intervene more effectively than ever through regulatory means in transport management. The city is starting to develop a zonal parking system similar to that already in place in the capital and other cities. The municipality aims, among other things, to promote the use of public transport and reduce congestion in the city centre.
The planned changes have the positive effect that the discounted residential pass, which is available near the residence on payment of the HUF 6 000 annual fee, will be free of charge and will be valid for two cars per person per address instead of one car per person, but a maximum of two vehicles per address.
The Debrecen City Card will allow a 10% discount on surface parking passes. The municipality intends to improve access to shops in the city centre by making the Széchenyi Street car park free on Saturdays. Parking fees in the car park along Pallagi Road next to the Clinic will not increase.
With all these planned measures, the municipality aims to
- make it easier and cheaper for Debrecen residents living in pay zones to park near their homes,
- promote greater use of local and interurban public transport,
- reduce the increasing traffic congestion in the city centre and its central areas,
- to create transfer connections between private and public transport, DV Parking Kft. will start planning P+R parking spaces in the south and then in the north of the city in 2025 and start their construction in 2026
Changes from 1 January 2025
- As of 1 January 2025, the current discounted residential season ticket with an annual fee of HUF 6,000, valid near the residence, will be abolished. Instead, in all current surface parking zones (Priority, I, II), a free parking permit will be introduced for residents near their residences. This exemption will apply to a maximum of two persons per address but a maximum of two vehicles per address. This entitlement will continue to be subject to registration with DV Parking.
- From 1 January 2025, the Széchenyi Street car park will be free of charge on Saturdays. The municipality intends to improve access to shops in the city centre.
- The Hunyadi pass will be discontinued; the Széchenyi pass will remain.
- The price of parking permits will increase by an average of 16.9%. After registration with DV Parking Kft, the Debrecen City Card allows the cardholder to purchase a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annual pass for any surface zone at a 10 percent discount for one car.
- The price of parking tickets and day passes in each zone remains unchanged. The name “day ticket” will be replaced by “day pass.”
- The chargeable waiting period will not change. Parking in surface zones will be charged from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays except public holidays, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and from 0 a.m. to midnight in underground car parks every day of the year.
Changes from 1 July 2025 – zones instead of zones
- Starting 1 July 2025, a zoning system will replace the surface parking zoning system (Priority I, II). There will be five zones in total:
- Centre zone: The inner part of the city centre. A maximum of 3 hours of waiting time is allowed in this zone with a parking ticket. Half-year and annual passes are available, which entitle you to wait in all surface zones. Garage Plus yearly passes can also be purchased with the annual Centrum pass, which allows users to use all underground car parks.
- Zone I – the area bounded by the rail track. A Zone I pass entitles the holder to use all surface zones except the Centrum zone, which can be purchased as a daily, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annual pass. A Garage Plus yearly pass can be purchased in addition to the Zone I annual pass.
- Zone II – the area bounded by the ring road. A Zone II pass entitles the holder to use Zones II to IV and can be purchased as a daily, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual pass. A monthly underground car park pass (Kölcsey, Nagyerdei or Sas Street underground car park pass) can be purchased with a Zone II pass, but not an annual pass.
- Zone III – the area around Nagyerdei Park.
- Zone IV – Clinic car park (located along Pallagi Road between the Aquaticum roundabout and Móricz Zsigmond Street).
Changes from 1 July 2025
- Free waiting near the place of residence will remain unchanged under the rules in force from 1 January 2025.
- Underground car parks will continue to operate with separate ticket and season ticket prices.
- Zone and underground garage pass redeemed from January 2025 will be valid under the new zoning system from July 2025: the priority zone pass will be valid in all surface zones, the Zone I pass in zones I to IV, and the Garage Plus pass will entitle the holder to wait in all underground garages during the pass’s validity period.
- The price of parking tickets will increase by an average of 18.6%, except for the Klinika car park (located on Pallagi Road between the Aquaticum roundabout and Móricz Zsigmond Street).
- Underground parking passes: A monthly pass for the Kölcsey, Nagyerdei, or Sas Street underground car parks can be purchased separately. In addition, an annual pass for all underground garages can be purchased together with an annual pass for the Centrum zone or Zone I.
- The Széchenyi pass will remain valid. The surface car park in Zone I, located at 14-16 Széchenyi Street, can be used with a monthly pass, of which a maximum of 200 units can be sold per month.
- Only in Zone II will the parking of pure electric vehicles remain free of charge for private individuals residing in Debrecen, subject to registration with DV Parking Kft. Those who have already registered at the beginning of the year will be automatically transferred to the new registration from 1 July 2025. The registration will be valid until the last day of February of the year following the year of application, after which it will be renewed.
- A daily pass can be purchased at a 10 percent discount using the QR code placed on the parking machines by DV Parking for a parking fee of 4 hours.
- The Municipality of Debrecen plans to design P+R parking spaces in 2025 and construct them in 2026.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
