Reversal of the situation in Sector 4 regarding the tax for those who have a car, but no parking space. Scandal in a secret meeting / What happens with fuel vouchers
The Local Council of Sector 4 decided, on Wednesday, to revoke the tax for urban development, of 593 lei per year, which had to be paid by the residents of Sector 4 who have a car, but could not prove that they also have a parking space. Also on Wednesday, the local elected officials decided to grant 600 lei vouchers for fuel to people with incomes below 5,000 lei/person.
The meeting was called urgently and was held online, but away from the public eye. The HotNews.ro reporter asked to attend the meeting, but to no avail. We remind you that the meetings of the local Councils are public, according to the law, and all the City Halls in Bucharest, except the City Hall of Sector 4, broadcast them live, online.
Reversal: Urban development tax revoked
Initially, in the project put on the agenda, mayor Daniel Băluță proposed suspending the tax, starting from April 1, 2026.
According to the information obtained by HotNews.ro, during the meeting the vice-mayor Andrei Trocan (PSD) proposed an amendment to revoke the decision of the Local Council by which the tax was approved. The amendment was approved with 23 votes in favor and two abstentions, so the tax was revoked.
USR councilors also proposed the return of the money collected so far from this tax, but the amendment was voted down with 8 votes for, 15 against and one abstention.
USR says that Băluță is withdrawing the fee for fear of a lawsuit already filed
“We demand the cancellation of the tax and the full recovery of the money. The abusive tax did not produce any effect for the benefit of the residents of Sector 4. Instead, it filled the accounts of the public administration, which mismanages public finances. We are still waiting for the court's decision in the cancellation case initiated by USR Sector 4, judged on March 20”, USR councilors also requested.
Paul Ene, USR local councilor, says that the Băluță administration suspended the tax for fear of the lawsuit filed by USR, regarding its cancellation.
“Why the rush? On Friday, the first term in the lawsuit filed by the USR to cancel the tax was judged. Desperation and fear led Baluță to resort to the classic methods of bribing the electorate. Suspending the tax and “I'll give you 100 lei for gas” doesn't solve anything. And people are intelligent enough to recognize a politician who takes them for fools”, wrote Paul Ene on the Facebook page.
Individuals who have paid the tax related to 2026 can ask for its refund, for the rest of the remaining period.
How does the Baluță administration justify removing the tax
“This measure is intended to reduce the fiscal pressure on the citizens of Sector 4 in the context of the sharp increase in the cost of living, generated by the current economic and geopolitical developments, as well as to ensure a reasonable and proportional adaptation of local fiscal policies to the existing socio-economic realities, with the aim of protecting the citizens of Sector 4 from the harmful consequences generated by the accelerated and substantial increase in the price of fuels, energy and consumer goods”, it is stated in the annexes of the draft decision.
The tax was approved at the end of 2024, being established starting January 1, 2025, for a period of 10 years. In 2025 the fee was 540 lei, and in 2026 – 593 lei.
The tax was challenged in court by USR S4, the deadline was last Friday, and the court remained in judgment. The reason cited by the plaintiffs: that the city hall charges citizens for a service they do not benefit from. And AUR Sector 4 filed a similar lawsuit.
Under what conditions are the 6-month fuel vouchers granted?
The District 4 Local Council approved “the granting of emergency aid intended for the purchase of car fuel, petrol and diesel, to families or single persons in situations of need, as a measure to prevent and combat social marginalization”.
The amount of the emergency aid is 600 lei/family or single person and is granted staggered over a period of 6 months, in 3 equal installments of 200 lei each, every 2 calendar months, starting on 04/01/2026, according to the adopted project.
The aid will be granted to people who cumulatively meet the following conditions:
- Have domicile or residence in Sector 4 of the Municipality of Bucharest, for at least 1 year;
- Be employed by the same employer at least between January and March 2026;
- Have a net income of no more than 5,000 lei/month/person or 10,000 lei/month/family;
- Own/lease one car;
- The owned car must not have a cylinder capacity greater than 2,000 cc and must not be approved for operation with LPG or any form of electric system, hybrid, etc.
- To own a single property;
- Not to appear with outstanding debits for payment originating from fees, local taxes or other debts to the local budget of Sector 4;
“The financial support can only be used for: the purchase of car fuel – diesel or gasoline. To benefit from the payment of installments in the amount of 200 lei, applicants must provide proof of the purchase of the fuel through: bank account statement in the name of the eligible persons and tax receipt issued by the economic operator, with the exception of the payment of the first installment,” the adopted draft decision also states.
“Taking into account the economic impact generated by the high inflation and the low purchasing power of the population as well as the current national and international context that has generated an alarming increase in the prices of motor fuels, the local public authorities confirm the principle of solidarity and intend to provide real support to families and vulnerable people from Sector 4 of the Municipality of Bucharest who are facing financial difficulties, in order to ensure minimum living conditions, social inclusion and in the labor market”, the institution motivates the decision to grant the vouchers.
Scandal in the meeting on fuel vouchers
The project, however, sparked heated discussions in the District 4 Local Council meeting.
Paul Ene, USR local councilor, proposed that public transport be settled for people with low incomes or that a formula be found so that this aid is not only received by those who have cars. He explained that Bucharest has major problems with pollution, and granting these vouchers encourages the use of personal cars.
“We're calling for petrol vouchers to be replaced with public transport reimbursement for all vulnerable people, whether they own a car or not. In a car-choked city, encouraging personal car use is irresponsible to infrastructure and public health.
We appeal to all members of the City Council to support these amendments that will truly do justice to the citizens of District 4,” said Paul Ene.
The USR group proposed an amendment to this effect, but it was not approved.
Tiberiu Giurgescu, REPER councilor, stated during the meeting that REPER, that the project is not well founded because it is not a case of social exclusion if a person goes by public transport and not by personal car.
“There are some problems with the project. It is not very clearly justified that it is a situation of social exclusion. The project as a whole creates some social dissensions, considering that the fuel crisis affects the whole society, only a part are the beneficiaries of this help from everyone's contributions. Let's think of a person who had to give up his personal car because of the tax, and now he is in the situation of not receiving this help, even though he is hit by this crisis. It is not a case of social exclusion that a person uses the car and not public transport”, said Giurgescu.
Andrei Trocan, deputy mayor and PSD councilor, said that public transport is free for students and pensioners, so there is no need to settle. “If other gratuities are desired, those who have public transport in their attributions should give them, it is not at the Sector 4 City Hall,” said Trocan.
“Transportation by car is not a luxury, there are people who live in areas that are not connected to the public transport network, nor are the conditions the best, to put it elegantly. Not all journeys can be made with public transport, there are people who need to take their children to school in a very short time by car, because they work, to go to the doctor”, said Trocan.
Beatrice Marinescu, USR councillor, said that instead of giving vouchers for petrol, so that people could take their children to school, the City Hall of Sector 4 would do better to build schools in the areas where it is needed.
