Council will ‘consider’ illegal parking concerns
Council seek legal advice over illegal parking claim CONOR SAYS BYE-LAW STATES FEE IS ONLY 50 CENT!
CLAIMS that the majority of pay parking in Drogheda is illegal are being considered by Louth County Council’s legal advisors after the matter was raised at a public meeting in the Barbican Centre.
Conor McNamara, on behalf of ‘citizens of Drogheda concerned with aggressive and illegal parking policies’ has raised a number of concerns over the parking charges and has even contacted the fraud squad on the matter.
Louth CC confirmed to the Drogheda Independent that they are seeking legal advice after receiving details from Mr McNamara and ‘ the issues raised therein will be given consideration in the context of Louth County Council’s ongoing enforcement of pay-parking and traffic regulation in Drogheda.’
He says that the bye-laws also don’t stipulate any punishment for not displaying a valid pay parking ticket, yet the council’s fine is €40. And bye-laws state that the parking fee is 50 cent per hour and not €1.20. He has called on the council to now temporarily disable ticket machines.
CLAIMS that the majority of pay parking in Drogheda is illegal are being considered by Louth County Council’s legal advisors after the matter was raised at a public meeting in the Barbican Centre.
Conor McNamara, on behalf of ‘citizens of Drogheda concerned with aggressive and illegal parking policies’ has raised a number of concerns over the parking charges and has even contacted the fraud squad on the matter.
Louth CC confirmed to the Drogheda Independent that they are seeking legal advice after receiving details from Mr McNamara and ‘ the issues raised therein will be given consideration in the context of Louth County Council’s ongoing enforcement of pay-parking and traffic regulation in Drogheda.’
Mr McNamara claims that the bye-laws are illegal in respect of Market Square/ Bolton Street, Murdock’s Yard/ Abbey Car Park, Peter’s Hill, George’s Sr, King St and Fair Street.
He has studied the parking bye-laws and says that no commencement date is registered in the bye-laws and the fee should be just 50 cent per hour, not €1.20 an hour, dating to 2002. Each of the car parks he has listed also require a traffic sign RRM016 but that’s not present.
He says that the bye-laws also don’t stipulate any punishment for not displaying a valid pay parking ticket, yet the council’s fine is €40.
He says the council now need to prepare suitable bye-laws and wait three months for individuals to comment.
‘ The council must temporarily disable ticket machines, stop issuing parking fines where not due, inform the public of the temporary suspension of pay charges, cancel any outstanding ‘fines’ due and cancel any court appearances due relating to these bye-laws,’ Mr McNamara states.
He says the council should not continue charging in the affected areas until an investigation has taken place.
He claims that the amount raised in parking runs to ‘millions of euros’ and has sent on his observations to the fraud squad. They have recommended that he make a formal complaint to the council and to ‘contact them on receiving a reply or if no reply is received.’