Private pay parking causing confusion and distress to unsuspecting public
Independent Councillors Pádraig McEvoy, Catherine Murphy and Seamie Moore have highlighted the proliferation of clamping controls in privately operated parking areas, and have slammed the aggressive enforcement by some operators as totally unacceptable saying it is causing confusion, distress and widespread public resentment.
“In the absence of clear legislation, various court rulings around issues of trespass, proportionate penalties and appropriate signage are leading to inconsistent tactics and confusion. Such are the difficulties in overseeing fairness that private area clamping has been outlawed in some EU states.”
North Kildare towns affected include, Clane, Celbridge, Leixlip, Maynooth and Naas. A variety of different companies enforce the private pay parking arrangements, all seem to have different rules with different signs, some carry out enforcement in a predatory way striking within minutes of the car being parked. Some operate 24/7 while others have restricted hours, most apply clamping, the release of which can cost anything from €80 to €120 payable before the clamp is released. Areas from Pub Car Parks, Church Grounds to Railway Stations are included.
Additional confusion is caused to the public in such towns as Celbridge, Leixlip and Naas, where the Local Authorities also have pay parking in operation. The occasional irritation felt by members of the public when paying for regulated public parking is frequently escalating to aggrieved anger for those who fall foul of confusing signage and vague distinctions between public and private operated areas. Private pay parking in some places is putting pressure on other available spaces to the detriment of the shops and businesses which appears grossly unfair. Cllr Moore, Murphy and McEvoy question if commercial rates are being applied to what is a commercial activity.
At recent Council meetings Cllr's McEvoy and Murphy raised concerns which relate to the unfairness of high-priced penalties, the exploitative nature of operational incentives, ambiguity in signage and the risks around handling cash release payments on the roadside, they have initially sought solutions through the Council’s Strategic Policy Committee however, Cllr's Murphy, McEvoy and Moore believe in addition to this response there is an urgent need for National Legislation which must be enacted in order to afford public protection from predatory operators.