Ensuring adequate dimensions for parking spaces is critical to the safety, convenience and efficiency of any parking facility. In Romania, a clear set of national technical norms establishes the minimum widths, lengths and associated requirements for car parking bays. This article examines the principal normative acts, explores the standard dimensions for various layouts, outlines permissible exceptions, and highlights the related State Standards (STAS) that govern signage and road markings.
1. Regulatory Framework and Historical Context
1.1 Evolution of State Standards (STAS)
- STAS (Standard de Stat) were Romania’s original national standards, formulated during the 1960–1980s. They covered a wide range of technical subjects, including parking-related signage (STAS SR 1848-1:1986) and road-marking execution (STAS SR 1848-7:1986).
- Although these STAS remain in force for sign design and marking methods, the detailed geometric prescriptions for parking bay layouts have since been incorporated into modern technical norms.
1.2 The NP 24-97 Normative
- NP 24-97, officially Normativ pentru proiectarea şi execuţia parcajelor pentru autoturisme, was issued by the Ministry of Development on 28 November 1997. It consolidates and updates earlier STAS provisions by defining precise bay geometries, access-lane widths, drainage and structural requirements.
- A revised edition of NP 24-97 was published in the Monitorul Oficial on 8 February 2023 and came into effect on 10 March 2023. This version reaffirms the minimum dimensions while also integrating barrier-free parking requirements in line with Normativul NP 051 (for persons with reduced mobility).
1.3 Regulatory Cross-References
- Ordin MD 260/2022 (Reglementări tehnice în construcții) explicitly references STAS SR 1848-1:1986 and STAS SR 1848-7:1986 for signage and marking of parking areas adjacent to public roads.
- NP 051 establishes enlarged dimensions and surface requirements for bays reserved for wheel-chair users and persons with reduced mobility.
2. Standard Dimensions for Passenger-Car Bays
The following table summarises the minimum bay dimensions specified by Table 6.1 of NP 24-97. All lengths are measured perpendicular (for 45°–90°) or parallel (for 0°) to the access lane.
| Parking Angle | Bay Width (m) | Bay Length (m) | Access-Lane Width (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90° (Perpendicular) | 2.50 | 5.00 | 6.00 (two-way) |
| 75° (Oblique) | 2.50 | 5.15 | 5.00 (one-way) |
| 60° (Oblique) | 2.50 | 5.00 | 4.00 (one-way) |
| 45° (Oblique) | 2.50 | 4.45 | 3.50 (one-way) |
| 0° (Parallel) | 2.00 (right) / 2.50 (left) | 5.00 | N/A |
Note: Bay widths and lengths apply to medium-sized European vehicles, allowing for door opening and manoeuvring clearances.
3. Exceptional Reductions and Marking Requirements
NP 24-97 permits a limited number of bays—up to 10 per cent of the total—to be reduced in size, provided they are distinctly marked:
- Reduced Bay Dimensions: Minimum 2.30 m width × 4.50 m length.
- Marking: All reduced-size bays must carry clear signage or stencil markings indicating their smaller footprint. They must not be used to satisfy requirements for barrier-free parking.
4. Barrier-Free and Special-Use Parking
To accommodate persons with reduced mobility, NP 051 and NP 24-97 jointly specify:
- Minimum Bay Dimensions: 3.60 m width × 5.00 m length.
- Additional Features:
- Level, non-slip surface with maximum gradient of 1:50.
- Adjacent access aisles of at least 1.80 m clear width.
- Proximate access routes leading to building entrances or lifts, free of steps and obstacles.
5. Signage and Road Marking Standards
While NP 24-97 governs geometric design, STAS SR 1848-1:1986 and STAS SR 1848-7:1986 remain the definitive references for:
- Signage
- Classification of parking symbols, directional arrows and supplementary panels.
- Standard colour schemes, dimensions and retroreflectivity requirements.
- Road Markings
- Paint types, line thicknesses and stepover patterns for delimiting bays and access lanes.
- Marking of no-parking zones, loading bays and bus-stop clearways within or adjacent to parking facilities.
6. Practical Design Considerations
Beyond the strict dimensional criteria, good parking-layout design must also address:
- Turning Radii: Ensure sufficient corner curvatures—usually 5.50 m inside radius for perpendicular bays.
- Lighting: Achieve a minimum average illuminance of 75 lux with uniformity ratio no greater than 5:1.
- Drainage: Incorporate crossfalls of 1–2 per cent towards linear channels equipped with gratings at 2–5 m intervals.
- Surface Materials: Use asphalt concrete or paving blocks rated for HL 93 vehicular loading.
- Traffic Flow: Provide clear one-way or two-way circulation routes, with signage and lane-marking to minimise conflict points.
7. Conclusions
Romanian legislation for parking-bay dimensions rests primarily on NP 24-97, which modernises and supersedes earlier STAS geometric rules. Standard perpendicular bays measure 2.50 m×5.00 m, with oblique and parallel variants similarly defined. A small proportion of spaces may be reduced to 2.30 m×4.50 m if clearly marked, while accessible bays for persons with reduced mobility require enlarged footprints of 3.60 m×5.00 m. Signage and line-marking continue to follow STAS SR 1848-1:1986 and 1848-7:1986, ensuring consistent wayfinding and legal compliance. Integrating these requirements with sound lighting, drainage and manoeuvring-space design yields safe, functional and user-friendly parking facilities.
