‘Restore our car-parking spaces’
MANY traders in Listowel are still far from happy with the impact of the Council’s Safe Streets programme, which witnessed 16 car-parking spaces being cordoned off by bollards in recent days, among other measures.
The measures are drastically reduced from the 50 parking spaces the Council originally planned to convert into pedestrian space under the COVID-19 safety programme.
The Authority climbed down on the scale first envisaged, following a campaign by traders with the help of their local councillors.
But for many traders, even the loss of one space is just too much – particularly at a time when business is struggling to get back on its feet now that phase three has come into effect.
Up at the top of William Street, the award-winning Jumbo’s Fast Food Restaurant has seen the two car spaces either side of its entrance removed.
But rather than creating safer space for his customer, Damien O’Mahony of Jumbo’s believes it is increasing the risk of COVID transmission – while impacting the livelihood of his family and his staff.
“If I thought it was making things safer for customers I would say one thing. Like all Listowel businesses operating for a time now, we have been very responsible all along, and customers were utilising those spaces safely, as we brought orders out to them, minimising all contact and risk of transmission. People could park up, and if they saw many people on the street, they could safely wait in their car until the people had moved out of the area.
“The new bollarded areas closing off parking spaces are supposed to let people step out of the way of people coming against them on the footpaths, but that’s not even being observed. I haven’t seen one person stepping into them.
“The fact is that there is no justification for taking away any of the car-parking spaces. The information provided by the government on gov.ie states that ‘Close contact does not include someone you passed on the street or in a shop. The risk of contact in that instance is very low.’ People have been walking on the pavements since phase one. This move is two phases too late, anyway,” Mr O’Mahony said.
He acknowledged the Council had climbed down on its initial vision. “It’s stressful enough getting back after lock-down without having to deal with this however.”