02/18/2020 - 7:00
- Clarín.com
- Cities
Between the policy of discouraging the use of the car and an inflation that does not give truce, parking in the City is increasingly expensive . The cost to leave the car in a garage of the micro or downtown Buenos Aires averages $ 104 pesos per hour and reaches $ 130 , while the twelve-hour stay is worth $ 342 on average. The value of six months ago was around $ 70 and $ 90 per hour and the stay, between $ 270 and $ 350. These data arise from a survey made by Clarín in about 20 parking beaches located within the perimeter that goes from the Pueyrredón avenue to Leandro N. Alem and from Córdoba avenue to Perón street.
The garages located between Callao and Pueyrredón avenues have prices ranging from $ 60 to $ 80 per hour. Between $ 96 and $ 130 is the cost of parking lots from Callao to Bajo .
The price difference between two garages that are less than 10 blocks away is considerable. In Sarmiento at 1900 the hour is worth $ 60 and in Corrientes Avenue at 1700 there is $ 130. From the Chamber of Garages, Parking and Related Activities of the Republic (CAGESRA) they usually explain that what is charged has to do with the location, capacity , comfort and the number of customers . Also, with the expenses that the garage must make in services, the salary of the employees and, when its responsible is not the owner, the rent.
Parking in Perón at 2400. Photo: Andres D'Elia
On the other hand, the price of the 12-hour stay at the micro and the macrocenter averages $ 320 and, like the rate for one hour, varies depending on the area. From Callao to Pueyrredón it is around $ 250 and from Callao to Alem the value is doubled. Meanwhile, there are few parking lots that rent their garages per month, but those that do, in that area, charge from $ 6,000 onwards.
The cause of garage increases is mainly due to inflation . It is that this directly impacted the rise of services (mainly electricity and water). And inevitably, these increases are transferred to parking rates.
“Normally, it increases once a year according to the percentages of inflation. But last year there were two increases six months apart , the last one in August. It was more than anything for the increase in services, especially electricity, and for operating expenses, ”says Ricardo Mujica, who is in charge of the parking lot of Corrientes 770 Avenue.
The increases that occurred in recent months (some mention August and others October) were between 15% and 20%. These percentages correspond to the inflationary figure of the last six months of 2019 published by the General Directorate of Statistics and Census of the Buenos Aires government.
However, in some places the increases climbed up to 35% . Also included in the expenses of a parking lot are the salaries of employees that are around $ 37,000 and $ 41,000 per month. Therefore, in some garages they claim that they cannot keep all the staff.
“Here the rate increases for inflation twice a year. In October it was the last increase, from $ 108 to $ 126, ”says Alejandro, who works in the parking lot of Av. Córdoba 1343. And he says there were six employees and now there were four.
The increases also generated that the flow of cars entering was decreasing . “A number of cars per day entered a beach before and now half goes in,” says Jonathan Miranda, who works in a garage that is 20 meters from the Obelisk.
“For a couple of years now, when gasoline began to increase, fewer people are coming. There are fewer and fewer parking lots in the City, which is actually less the number of cars coming. And to those who come we are dividing it among those who remain, ”says Fernando, who works in a garage in Ayacucho 352 and says that having a parking lot is no longer“ a business ” . "There is always the threat of a construction company coming and tomorrow they start building," he concludes.
For now, most agree that during March rates will rise again between 10% and 15%.
Parking in Sarmiento 1960. Prices are cheaper further from the center and according to the garage Photo: Andres D'Elia
The pedestrianization of Corrientes
The garages located on Corrientes, between Callao and Pellegrini , have a particular situation, because the lanes on the left of the avenue become pedestrian from 19 to 2. And according to the owners of the garages, this harms them, because it scared many customers.
“Since Corrientes is a pedestrian , between 25 and 30 customers left . In fact, the neighbors who kept the car here stopped doing it for fear of fines. They all left, ”says Carlos Coto, employee of the“ Emilio ”parking lot located in Corrientes in 1700.
"Turning Currents into a pedestrian made the number of cars coming down, because everything is poorly signposted and drivers don't know if they can drive or not. People directly say 'I'm not going because I'm afraid of being fined' Before paying the high fine, they prefer to leave the car somewhere else, ”adds Diego Mercado, 30, an employee of another garage on Theater Avenue in 1736.
Agustin Cassano