Bratislava defines rules for the placement and appearance of parcel lockers

According to the new principles and standards (PaS), parcel lockers should not be added in conservation areas, in the immediate vicinity of monuments or in the middle of historical parks or forests. The parcel lockers should have a more minimalist design and be in less striking colours. The manual proposes specific solutions and shows examples of how this should or should not be done.

The manual was prepared by public space experts from the Bratislava Metropolitan Institute (MIB), together with other specialists from the City of Bratislava from the property management section, professional consultants and representatives of individual courier companies themselves. It was they who proposed addressing this issue. The model for the Bratislava manual was also a similar document from the City of Prague.

Peter Bošácky, an architect from the MIB’s urban space creation section:

“The reason we started to deal with parcel lockers is that their number and demand for them on the streets of Bratislava is constantly increasing. Furthermore, they are also installed by various companies, which generates a varied design. This indirectly creates a new type of visual advertising smog or physical barriers in the space, which Bratislava is otherwise trying to eliminate.”

He also adds, however, that there are positive aspects of such parcel lockers – mainly increasing the comfort of and saving time for residents – as well as greening and improving the efficiency of parcel delivery.

Parcel lockers on city property

The principles and standards comprehensively define the basic rules for installing parcel lockers on city property, including the method of anchoring, designing and maintaining them. According to the manual, they may not have advertising stickers or other inscriptions other than their own logo, and different types of parcel lockers in one place should be harmonised.

Of interest is the proposed colour palette, which instead of flashy colours gives preference to more earthy tones, such as anthracite, various shades of brown, beige or grey.

The manual includes plenty of illustrative examples and model situations that can be used as inspiration for installing parcel lockers in an urban environment. The rules will apply to newly installed parcel lockers on land owned by the capital, and operators will be obliged to comply with them in rental agreements. These standards can also serve as inspiration for installing parcel lockers on private land or for modifying existing parcel lockers.

You can find the text of the entire manual on web MIB ↗︎

Q&A

Will the PaS also apply to existing parcel lockers or will it be mandatory to change them?

No, operators will be obligated to meet these standards only when signing new contracts with the city. Of course, the PaS also serve as a set of recommendations for current contractual partners, and we hope that these universal rules will also be an inspiration for parcel lockers on private land or boxes that are already on the streets of the city.

Did we consult with individual companies on these PaS? Are the recommendations acceptable and realistic for them (e.g., changing the colour)?

During its creation, the document was consulted on with representatives of the largest “market players” who operate parcel lockers. During mutual discussions, we tried to find a common path so that the requirements were realistic and acceptable for operators.