The Lowdown

The city of Poznań has found yet another way to squeeze every last złoty out of its hardworking residents—by rolling out special patrol cars designed to hunt down anyone who dares to park without paying. These Orwellian machines, equipped with high-tech cameras and sensors, are now prowling the streets, scanning license plates, and issuing hefty fines to unsuspecting drivers.

Surveillance Cars? Really?

After months of preparation and testing, these “e-control” vehicles officially hit the streets in March. At first, there will be just two, but don’t get too comfortable—soon, five or six of them will be crawling around the city, lurking near Paid Parking Zones like vultures waiting to strike.

The way it works is simple:

The car drives past your parked vehicle and scans your plate.
It comes back at least five minutes later to see if you’ve paid.
If you haven’t, your information is immediately sent to the city’s parking office.
If the office confirms you haven’t paid, bam! A fine lands in your inbox.

How Much Will This Cost You?

200 PLN fine if you don’t pay within 14 days.
350 PLN fine after that.

All this while the city brags about “modernizing” its parking system, conveniently ignoring the fact that this is just another way to milk money from everyday drivers.

Poznań’s Mayor Tries to Spin It

Mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak, in classic political fashion, assures residents that this is all for their benefit:

“This is another important step in modernizing the paid parking zone in Poznań.”

Yeah, right. More like another step in turning Poznań into a giant cash register.

Oh, and don’t think you’ll get away with just dodging the e-control cars—traditional foot patrols will still be on duty. Because, you know, one method of extracting fines just isn’t enough.

Where Does It End?

First, they added more parking zones. Then, they jacked up the fees. Now, they’re sending out robot cars to make sure they never miss a single chance to fine you. What’s next? Drones tracking how long you spend in a café? AI-controlled tow trucks swooping in the second your meter expires?

If only Poznań’s leadership put this much effort into helping actual residents instead of treating them like ATMs.