By AZE.US
A shortage of parking spaces in central Baku is becoming more than an inconvenience for drivers.
Restaurants, cafes and stores may lose around 10,000 manats ($5,880) in monthly revenue when customers cannot find anywhere to leave their cars.
Finding an available parking space in central Baku can take several minutes or longer. For drivers, the search costs time. For nearby businesses, however, the consequences can be measured in lost revenue.
When motorists cannot park near a restaurant, cafe or store, they may abandon the visit and choose another location. Businesses can consequently lose not only individual customers but also entire group orders.
Nine Customers Lost Every Day
Experts offered a hypothetical calculation for a restaurant serving approximately 150 customers a day.
If 60% of its visitors arrive by car, that represents 90 customers. If only 10% of those motorists change their plans because of parking difficulties or traffic congestion, the restaurant loses at least nine customers each day.
With an average bill of 40 to 50 manats ($24 to $29), the potential loss would reach 360 to 450 manats ($212 to $265) per day.
Over a month, the restaurant could lose approximately 10,000 manats ($5,880). If calculated across all 30 days, the figure could rise to 13,500 manats ($7,940).
Businesses and Customers Both Complain
The lack of parking spaces has prompted complaints from both business owners and their customers.
Visitors may have to spend considerable time searching for a space, park far from their destination or abandon their plans altogether. The problem is particularly acute in areas with a high concentration of restaurants, cafes, stores and other commercial establishments.
For business owners, convenient access has effectively become part of customer service. Even a popular restaurant or well-located store may struggle if potential customers cannot stop nearby.
The result is a chain reaction: the driver wastes time and leaves, the business loses revenue, and vehicles circling nearby streets add to congestion.
Underground and Multistory Parking Proposed
Experts believe Baku needs additional parking facilities and more efficient use of available urban space.
Creating large surface parking lots in the city center is difficult because land and real estate are expensive. Underground facilities and multistory parking structures of five to nine levels have therefore been proposed as possible alternatives.
Such facilities could be constructed on state- or municipality-owned land and operated as either paid or free parking, depending on their location and management model.
Additional parking capacity could make commercial establishments more accessible and reduce the amount of time motorists spend circulating through surrounding streets.
Baku’s parking shortage is no longer merely a daily inconvenience. It is affecting traffic, the experience of residents and visitors, and the revenue of businesses operating in the city center.
AZE.US