The Charleroi autonomous municipal office (RCA), in collaboration with the Charleroi Centre Ville non-profit organisation, has introduced new measures to promote mobility and parking in downtown Charleroi.
The announced measures include an extension of ‘Smart Shopping’ to include every day in July and August, providing around a thousand free parking spots.
Smart Shopping had hitherto been limited to Saturdays. The decision to extend it throughout summer, aimed at supporting local tradespeople, was welcomed by the president of Shop’In Charleroi, Fabrizzio Padovan.
RCA and Charleroi Centre Ville are keen to emphasise the accessibility of the city's downtown area. Following the renovation of certain areas and the introduction of paid parking in 2016, the ease of access to the city centre has come in for much criticism.
Xavier Desgain, alderman in charge of mobility, announced on Tuesday that Charleroi offers 5000 parking places.
The RCA and Charleroi Centre Ville have also spent several months working on a map that outlines all the parking zones with their corresponding details. This map will be widely distributed among local businesses, allowing them to assist their clients.
With the aim of revitalising the uptown area, whose renovation ended a few months ago, store owners there will benefit from 100 hours of free parking in the Campus car park.
